A Victoria resident who donated her kidney to a stranger is gearing up for a 100-kilometre walk in Alberta in an effort to raise money and raise awareness for kidney disease.

Starting on Sept. 6, Sandra Jupp will be joining hundreds in walking 100 kilometres over three days for the annual Kidney March in Kananaskis, Alta.

Last summer, she came across a social media post from someone she used to go to school with whose husband was in desperate need of a kidney. She decided to go through the process of testing and she was a match, but around the same time, someone in the same hospital also had a match, so she went ahead and found another match through Kidney March.

In August, she moved to the top of the wait-list and donated her left kidney to a complete stranger.

B次元官网网址淚 still pinch myself some days. I go through waves, it was definitely emotional,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard not knowing who the person is that received my kidney, but just knowing that I was able to extend their life by another 15 to 18 years, itB次元官网网址檚 something very special and IB次元官网网址檒l hold it very dearly.B次元官网网址�

She said she had six weeks of recovery and she now feels like sheB次元官网网址檚 living with both kidneys again, and has been training for the walk for a few months.

B次元官网网址淚 probably would have had some harder decisions on determining whether this is something I could financially do, being off work for six weeks, not working full time with a house, and bills and two children,B次元官网网址� she said.

Because she works for the provincial government, B.C. Public Service was able to pay her wages while she was in recovery.

B次元官网网址淚 think sheB次元官网网址檚 really brave and IB次元官网网址檓 really proud of her,B次元官网网址� said JuppB次元官网网址檚 10-year-old daughter, Jordyn.

, with a goal of $2,200 and sheB次元官网网址檚 part of a collective of marchers called the Sole Sisters and The Misters who are looking for a total of $50,000 in donations.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 pretty close to my personal goal, so IB次元官网网址檓 very happy about that. We have up until 30 days after the actual march to to submit all of our donations so IB次元官网网址檓 not quite sure where weB次元官网网址檙e at time-wise, but IB次元官网网址檓 hopeful that weB次元官网网址檒l weB次元官网网址檒l get the support that weB次元官网网址檙e looking for this year,B次元官网网址� she said.

For more information or to donate, visit https://kidneymarch.ca.

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