By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A HAMPTON Park father suffering from kidney failure has vowed to keep fighting to raise awareness about the illness.
Earlier this month, Michael Marks and his family raised just over $1000 through organising a special trivia night.
While pleased with the money raised, Michael was hoping for more people than the 35-odd attendees, and told Star News he would continue raising awareness and ensure the next event was better publicised.
“I’ve got to fight for it because I’m on dialysis – I need a kidney,” he said.
“Somebody’s got to stand up.”
In 2014 renal failure saw Michael suffer from two cardiac arrests, stopping his heart for 35 minutes during which the Hampton Park man was declared clinically dead.
Luckily during this incident, Michael was already at the hospital, and doctors were able to save his life, but the 50-year-old has been constantly reminded of his frailty as he waits desperately on the transplant list for a new kidney.
In the meantime, Michael, his wife Sandra, and their sons Paul and Shayne worked tirelessly to seek support for the special trivia night fund-raiser, in conjunction with Kidney Health Australia.
But the four of them found it incredibly difficult to get local business on board, which has spurred Michael on to raise awareness about the terrible nature of kidney failure.
He has a fire in the belly to make sure the campaign keeps going, and he is already thinking of ways to organise the next event.
“I’d just like to see awareness get out there in the community,” he said.
“If you can’t get awareness, you can’t get a cure and if you can’t get a cure, people die.
“It’s a pretty simple scenario.”
Michael undergoes dialysis treatment at the Cranbourne Integrated Care Unit three days a week, for five hours at a time.
Among many concessions, Michael is restricted to only doing paper work for his gardening business, as he is now unable to do the physical work he once relished.
However, while his physical prowess has been diminished by the disease, the same can’t be said for Michael’s mental strength.
“It’s made me realise you’ve ‘gotta live life to the fullest – you can’t just turn around and take things for granted,” he said.
For more information, contact Michael at mrmarks@netspace.net.au.
