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Anna Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, fax April
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
LIFE
Walking for Kidney Patients
Two Mountain Brook Residents Recognized by Birmingham Kidney Walk By Emily Williams At about the 32nd week of Kaylee Gunn’s pregnancy with her first child, a 3D ultrasound revealed something amiss. Doctors told Gunn and her husband, Matchett, (pictured with William) that their growing baby’s kidneys looked like they were covered in cysts and he had little amniotic fluid surrounding him. William Matchett Gunn III was born Feb. 4, 2016, with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease in both kidneys and spent the first few weeks of his life in the NICU at Children’s of Alabama. Now 2 years old, William has been named patient chair for the Alabama Kidney Foundation’s annual Birmingham Kidney Walk, to be held April 28. “William is such a blessing and exudes happiness all around,” Kaylee Gunn said. “He has shown that he is a fighter, and we will continue to fight for him. We are so honored to call him ours. Our hope is to raise awareness and money for people across Alabama fighting kidney disease.”
Gunn said the effects of the disease were apparent almost immediately. He had high blood pressure and difficulty eating. Because the disease is irreversible, William at some point will need a kidney transplant. “Until the transplant, his kidney function will continue to be monitored until at some point they are no longer functioning,” Gunn said. “Our goal is to keep him growing and get him as far as possible before the kidneys fail.” Though a symptom of his disease is chronic vomiting, by using a feeding tube and taking multiple medications throughout the day, he has maintained a healthy weight and hasn’t needed to start dialysis. Joining William as honorary event chair is Gary Gorham, (pictured) a fellow Mountain Brook resident. Gorham, Alabama Power’s manager of transmission project management and customer service, is a longtime supporter of the foundation and has participated in his corporate Kidney Walk team for the past several years. He said he is passionate about AKF because the money raised by the group
directly benefits the patients who suffer from kidney disease. Those patients include some of his close friends who suffer from kidney diseases, as well as friends who have donated kidneys. AKF says it is the only state-based organization in Alabama that provides direct services to kidney patients, which includes financial assistance, education and support services. This year, AKF has set a goal of $220,000, nearly half of which already has been raised by walk teams. The funds raised will benefit the AKF Financial Assistance Program, which helps low-income dialysis patients afford their utility bills, prescription medications and transportation to and from treatments. For those who wish to join Gorham and the Gunn family, the Birmingham Kidney Walk will be held at the Samford University Track and Soccer Complex. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the walk at 9:30 a.m. In addition to the walk, festivities will include live music, door prizes and activities for the kids. For more information, visit alkidney. org. ❖
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32 • Thursday, April 19, 2018