With Thousands of Dialysis Patients in Hurricane Laura's Path, American Kidney Fund Activates Disaster Relief Program for Emergency Assistance

ROCKVILLE, Md. (August 26, 2020) — The American Kidney Fund (AKF), the leading nonprofit working on behalf of 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, has activated its Disaster Relief Program to provide emergency funds to help dialysis patients along the Texas and Louisiana coasts affected by Hurricane Laura, expected to make landfall overnight as a catastrophic Category 4 storm. AKF's Disaster Relief Program is the nation's only rapid-response system that provides emergency financial assistance to dialysis patients.

Coastal Texas or Louisiana dialysis patients facing mandatory or voluntary evacuation, or who are affected by Hurricane Laura and need emergency financial help, should contact a social worker at their dialysis center for information on applying, call the American Kidney Fund directly at 1.800.795.3226, or submit an application directly at gms.KidneyFund.org

"We remember all too well the extensive devastation that Hurricane Harvey wrought on the Gulf coast in 2017, and the tremendous impact that storm had on dialysis patients in the region. In preparing for a severe weather event like Hurricane Laura, dialysis patients face added financial burdens on top of the challenges of staying safe and making arrangements to continue receiving their life-sustaining treatments," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF president and CEO. "Our disaster relief grants provide assistance when it is needed most and help alleviate some of patients' financial concerns at this stressful time."

When disaster strikes their communities, disaster relief grants from AKF help patients replace lost medications and special renal diet foods, pay for temporary housing and transportation to treatment, and replace clothing and personal essentials lost due to the natural disaster or the need to evacuate without notice.

AKF's website provides emergency preparedness information for dialysis patients at KidneyFund.org/disaster-prep. This page includes information about the 3-Day Emergency Diet Plan for dialysis patients. By following this plan, patients can help reduce waste buildup in their bodies if they have to miss or delay their dialysis treatment

Hurricane Laura is approaching the Texas and Louisiana Gulf coasts three years after Hurricane Harvey devastated the area with extensive flooding, resulting in enormous need for assistance among dialysis patients. That year, AKF provided emergency disaster grants totaling nearly $850,000 to more than 3,800 dialysis patients affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

To make a contribution to AKF's Disaster Relief Program to assist kidney patients affected by Hurricane Laura, as well as to assist patients affected by future disasters, visit KidneyFund.org/disaster-relief. 100% of all donations to the program goes directly to patients in need; AKF is covering the cost of grant processing and check distribution to ensure that the maximum number of patients in need receive the support they so desperately need.