Corporate and Individual Donations Provide Much-Needed Support to Kidney Patients Impacted by Hurricane Helene Through the American Kidney Fund's Disaster Relief Program

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Oct. 2, 2024)  — In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Helene across the Southeast, the American Kidney Fund's (AKF) Disaster Relief Program is continuing to provide emergency, rapid-response financial assistance to dialysis and recent transplant patients in hard-hit North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and southern Virginia, many of whom had to evacuate or are living without power and water in areas where homes, businesses, bridges and roads were destroyed. AKF is grateful for the generous support of the American Society of Nephrology, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., the Schattner Foundation, CSL Vifor and Ardelyx, as well as numerous individual donors that have stepped up to make this critically needed aid possible. 

Emergency grants of $250 are being provided to dialysis and post-transplant patients in areas that have sustained significant damage as a result of Hurricane Helene. These disaster relief grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis to help affected members of the kidney community cover expenses related to lost medications and special kidney-friendly foods; temporary housing and transportation to treatment; and replacement clothing and personal essentials that were lost due to the natural disaster or the need to evacuate with short notice.

To donate in support of AKF's disaster relief efforts and ensure that AKF can continue to provide funds for Hurricane Helene and future emergencies, visit AKF's website. AKF covers the administrative costs of this program so that 100% of donations may go directly to patients in need. AKF is proud to be among the highly rated charities on Charity Navigator and Charity Watch's curated lists of nonprofits providing relief to Helene-affected communities.

"Living through a massive storm like Hurricane Helene is difficult, frightening and dangerous for anyone, but that is all amplified when you are living with kidney failure," said AKF President and CEO LaVarne A. Burton. "Interruptions to life-saving treatments like dialysis or losing access to your medications can have dire consequences. That is why we are so grateful to our supporters for mobilizing so quickly to step up and help members of the kidney community facing the effects of this storm."

Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, the strongest hurricane ever recorded to hit the Big Bend region of the state. The destructive storm recorded sustained winds of 140 mph with higher gusts as well as a foot of rain, leading to life-threatening storm surges and historic flooding. Seven states declared a state of emergency (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia), with scores of people evacuated from their homes. More than 130 people have died in storm-related deaths and more than 2.2 million people were left without power. 

To help patients impacted by Hurricane Helene, AKF also developed a resource page, which can be accessed here.

AKF has been providing emergency disaster financial assistance to kidney patients throughout all the major disasters that have struck the United States and its territories for the past three decades. Earlier this year, AKF administered emergency grants to dialysis and post-transplant patients impacted by destructive storms in Houston. Last year, AKF provided more than $70,000 in disaster relief grants to more than 500 people with kidney failure who were affected by tornadoes in Mississippi, wildfires in Hawaii, Typhoon Mawar in Guam and Hurricane Idalia in Florida.