Establish an Emergency Rescue Network

Donated Hemodialysis Machine to Establish an Emergency Rescue Network

There were around 100 rare diseases patients need blood (Hemodialysis), liver and kidney dialysis every year, most of them are children. When they had a relapse, they had to grasp the golden window to urgently remove the toxic metabolites from body. Besides medicine control, kidney dialysis was another key to life-saving. Such as AUHS patients had to through Plasmaphresis and kidney dialysis immediately when its outbreak; When copper invaded the liver of Wilson's Disease patients, liver dialysis instantly was needed as well; Others such as "Familial hyperchylomicronemia" and "HoFH" needed to remove triglyceride in blood plasma regularly.

Although a new type of Hemodialysis machine could meet the special needs of rare diseases, the equipment was very expensive. Most hospitals still adopted the traditional methods for medical treatment, which pose a great risk to children patients. In 2012, for provided the safe treatment for children, TFRD integrated the NGO to raise funding and purchased two new type of Hemodialysis machines, which then donated to NTU Children Hospital and Pediatric intensive care unit of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.

In 2014, TFRD raised funding again, integrated with Ling-Jiou Mountain Charity Foundation in New Taipei City, Hui-Kang Social Welfare Foundation in Taichung City and Social Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government to purchase the third Hemodialysis machines and donated to Taichung Veterans General Hospital. On July 17, the day of donation press conference, TFRD invited Director Qiu, Division of Pediatric Nephrology of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital to share his treatment experience. Dr. Qiu was very touched by TFRD’s efforts to save several lives. In addition, the parents of Propionic Acidemia patients who have been treated with this machine express their gratitude in person. TFRD was even more convinced of the importance of building emergency rescue equipment.

Translator: Maggie Chao (Glutaric Aciduria), Reviewer: Joy Yi