Austin Kidney Walk helps raise money and awareness

Hundreds come together for Austin Kidney Walk

Members of the community came together at the Austin Kidney Walk to support those living with the disease, and to raise money for resources, awareness, advocacy and prevention. FOX 7 Austin's Bryanna Carroll has the details.

AUSTIN, Texas - Members of the community came together at the Austin Kidney Walk to support those living with the disease, and to raise money for resources, awareness, advocacy and prevention.

The backstory:

FOX 7 Austin is a proud sponsor of the 2025 Austin Kidney Walk, which took place on the morning of October 26.

Members of the community came together to support those living with the disease, and to raise money for resources, awareness, advocacy and prevention.

Hundreds turned out for this year's walk, including people living with kidney disease, their family and friends, members of the medical community, and living donors.

"The walk is growing here in Austin every year," said Dr. Nicole Turgeon, the Division Chief of Transplant Surgery at the UT Abdominal Transplant Center.  

By the numbers:

Approximately 1 in 7 Americans have Chronic Kidney Disease, according to the CDC.

This year, attendees raised over $90,000 for the National Kidney Foundation, and executive director Calvin Lyons says the awareness they raised is just as important.  

"There are 37 million people with Chronic Kidney Disease in the country," said Lyons. "90% of them have no idea they're sick."

Dig deeper:

Lyons says that's because in the early stages of the disease, there often are not clear symptoms — meaning by the time people are diagnosed with Kidney Disease, it's often once it has reached advanced stages.  

That was the case for Juan Rodriguez. He was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2019. He says his journey has not been easy, but it has turned him into an advocate, educating people about prevention and treatment options. And he says support from the community has made a big difference.  

"Being here in the community, and as far as Austin's concerned, has been a big support," said Rodriguez. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

What you can do:

If you didn't participate in this year's Austin Kidney Walk, there are still ways you can get involved. Those include making a donation to the National Kidney Foundation by visiting their website at www.kidney.org, using your platforms to spread awareness and resources about Kidney Disease, or even considering becoming a living donor yourself.