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.

sa国际传媒淚 still pinch myself some days. I go through waves, it was definitely emotional,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 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, itsa国际传媒檚 something very special and Isa国际传媒檒l hold it very dearly.sa国际传媒�

She said she had six weeks of recovery and she now feels like shesa国际传媒檚 living with both kidneys again, and has been training for the walk for a few months.

sa国际传媒淚 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,sa国际传媒� she said.

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

sa国际传媒淚 think shesa国际传媒檚 really brave and Isa国际传媒檓 really proud of her,sa国际传媒� said Juppsa国际传媒檚 10-year-old daughter, Jordyn.

, with a goal of $2,200 and shesa国际传媒檚 part of a collective of marchers called the Sole Sisters and The Misters who are looking for a total of $50,000 in donations.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 pretty close to my personal goal, so Isa国际传媒檓 very happy about that. We have up until 30 days after the actual march to to submit all of our donations so Isa国际传媒檓 not quite sure where wesa国际传媒檙e at time-wise, but Isa国际传媒檓 hopeful that wesa国际传媒檒l wesa国际传媒檒l get the support that wesa国际传媒檙e looking for this year,sa国际传媒� she said.

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

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