Renal Unit head nurse Paul Calleja with Lifecycle Challenge founder Alan Curry.

Lifecycle (Malta) Foundation has sponsored the annual use and maintenance of a van that renal patients utilise as a means of transport in the evenings for their dialysis sessions at Mater Dei’s Renal Unit. The van provides transport for those travelling to and from the unit for their haemodialysis treatment on the Renal Unit’s machines. 

For the past 19 years, Lifecycle has been raising money for life-saving equipment to help people suffering from renal failure while advancing the awareness about organ transplants in Malta,

This year, the foundation will be celebrating its 20th anniversary since it was first set up by its founder Alan Curry. For the second year running, Foster Clark’s has agreed to be the title sponsor of the challenge which will be taking participants to Dubai and then cycling 2,000 km to Salalah in Southern Oman.

In Malta, there are around 200 patients, at any one time, requiring haemodialysis at the Renal Unit, while another 80 carry out the treatment at home on machines. With the early evening shift, called the twilight dialysis shift, offered by the Renal Unit, patients do not disrupt their daily work schedule. Furthermore, the twilight shift transport service curtails disruption for the patients’ families.

“The twilight transport service allows the dialysis sessions to be spread over a longer period of the day, and so a twilight shift was able to be established during the evening. The benefits of the van in providing this service have taken a huge burden from both the patients, the patients’ families and, of course, the dedicated staff of the Renal Unit,”  said Lifecycle Foundation chairwoman Shirley Cefai.  

Mr Curry said: “With the Renal Unit’s twilight shift and the van service, supported by an annual €7,000 donation from LifeCycle funds, renal patients have overcome another major hurdle: in the past, patients would lose their jobs as employers were not eager to allow their employees to leave work during the day on a regular basis.”

Patients do appreciate Lifecycle’s efforts. “Only the other week, a renal patient walked into our training facility with his family and personally donated a sum as a thankful gesture for the use of the twilight van. He told us that for his 60th birthday he will be asking for money which he will donate to Lifecycle,” Dr Cefai said.

One can donate via sms: 5061 7370 (€2.33); 5061 8920 (€6.99); 5061 9229 (€11.65); or via a call to 5160 2020 (€10), 5170 2005 (€15); and 5180 2006 (€25). Bank details are Swift code VALLMTMT, IBAN number MT 18 VALL 22013000000014814521017, Bank of Valletta, Account number 14814521017. For more information and to donate, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/306454086525755/ .