SUMMERSIDE - Summerside kidney recipient Brian Ellis is preparing to hit the road again.
Ellis, 47, was a former dialysis patient whose life was transformed through the gift of a kidney.
He plans to show his appreciation to those who helped him along the way and to raise awareness about the need for signing the organ donor section of drivers' licences.
"We also want people who sign the forms to talk to family members, make sure they know their intentions," he said.
Ellis plans to walk a route he knows well, from East Point to North Cape, a distance he estimates at approximately 308 kilometres.
His campaign will begin April 18 at 8 a.m. His ETA for North Cape is April 27.
"We hope to get transplant recipients and donors involved. Anyone who wants to walk is welcome to join me," said the Arnett Avenue man, whose wife, Deborah Snow, will accompany him by car.
This will be Ellis's third effort, with the first walk when he was still on dialysis and in frail health.
Ellis received his gift of life at Halifax's QEII Health Sciences Centre on Aug. 13, 2006.
"I can walk, I can swim, I can do anything a normal person with two kidneys can do. I'm one of the lucky ones. It was a big gift, the best gift I ever received," said Ellis.
Last year's walk raised approximately $6,000 for kidney awareness and patient services.
Ellis is timing his walk to promote National Organ and Tissue Donation Week, running the last full week in April.
Kidney recipient ready to walk tip to tip again
Kidney recipient Brian Ellis and his wife, Deborah, are preparing for his third walk across the province in support of organ donations. Jim Brown/Journal Pioneer
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- Claire
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:04:11
Way to go Brian, we have to continue making people aware of signing those organ donation cards & making their wishes known, my brother was a kidney transplant recipient and he was always so thankful & considered it to be the most important thing in his life, he also received his gift of life at the QEII on May 15, 1997, Good Luck & continued Good Health.
