While kidney insufficiency is generally more common among the elderly, experts note that 11% of all dialysis patients are young people and they have more difficulty in accepting such a tough diagnosis. The young patients of the Chisinau Dialysis Center and students from Just Friends Dance Academy organized on Thursday, August 10, a flash-mob under the motto “Hey, take care of your kidneys!”. On the occasion of the International Youth Day, they wanted to raise public awareness regarding the importance of monitoring kidney health and to prove that life can be lived in an active way even when hooked to the dialysis machine, IPN reports.
In some cases, renal diseases develop without symptoms and patients go to the doctor only when their kidneys are already failing. According to Petru Cepoida, medical director of the BB-Dializa Center, many of the young patients didn’t suspect anything was wrong with their kidneys until their health worsened. “They were diagnosed with terminal renal insufficiency, usually after some life-threatening complications. The psychological adaptation of people who were leading a normal life until yesterday to the situation of suffering from a chronic incapacitating condition is a big problem” said the doctor.
In order to overcome the shock of the diagnosis, patients can get help from the Dialysis Center’s psychologist Diana Stirbu. She says that young patients are unwilling to accept their condition and dependence on the dialysis machine. Activities such as today’s dance are a welcome break from the daily routine. “Today’s event allowed to us to know them from a different angle. During preparations, they couldn’t wait until the next rehearsal. They gained confidence, energy, optimism and liveliness. Each and every one of them is an example of how to live and enjoy every moment of life”, said the psychologist.
The participating patients were deeply impressed by the initiative. Dumitru Butucea said that the dance raised his mood after the dialysis sessions. “Despite the dialysis, I don’t give up doing what I like, I just have to be more careful”, he explained.
Another patient, Ivan Popa, also enjoyed the rehearsals and was happy to have something else to talk to the other patients aside from dialysis. He added that the event boosted his self-confidence.
The BB-Dializa Center in Chisinau serves about 350 patients, 40 of whom are young people. Their dialysis services are covered by their medical insurance.
