ESTEVAN — An event is being organized that will help Vince Burkholder and his wife Bev of Estevan with their mounting medical expenses.
The fundraiser will occur at Jesus Our Light International Ministries (JOLIM) Church, located in the 1300 block of Seventh Street on July 15, starting at 10 a.m.
People who attend will enjoy a barbecue burger or hotdog, served with a soft drink and chips. Also, there will be a bake sale, homemade perogies and cabbage rolls with all the fixings. Face painting by Alyssa Harrison will begin at 1 p.m. And there will be a raffle table and a donation box.
The Burkholders attend the church, and "they are a couple that is always willing to lend a helping hand whenever and however they are needed," states a poster for the event.
Vince requires kidney dialysis three times a week since he only has one kidney that is working, and it is functioning at a lower percentage. He is on the transplant list, but it might take him three to five years to receive a new kidney.
"Not being able to work has put a strain on their finances," the poster states. "This fundraising has been put together so we could all come together as a community, family and friends to support them in their time of need."
Vince Burkholder noted it was Wanda Boire, who suggested having the fundraiser. The Burkholders were hesitant at first, but Boire was adamant that something should happen.
"She knows how our finances have been the last couple of years," said Burkholder.
Burkholder has been on dialysis since April 2020. A diabetic, he was diagnosed with kidney issues in 2018, when they found out he had one kidney functioning at more than 30 per cent. In the next two years, it dropped below nine per cent, at which time he had to begin dialysis. In the first year, he had to go to Regina, since there wasn't an available spot at St. Joseph's Hospital, and he also had eyesight issues, which resulted in additional trips to the Queen City.
Burkholder estimates he made more than 40 trips to Regina that year.
He finally found a seat at the dialysis unit at St. Joseph's Hospital in November 2020.
After 2 1/2 years of waiting, he is on the waitlist for a kidney transplant, but the surgeon told him he'd have to keep waiting for a transplant because his blood is O-positive.
Burkholder encourages people to get a physical every year and to have their kidneys checked out. They don't necessarily know if something is wrong, and if their creatine levels are high, it could prove fatal.
"Your kidneys are one of the most important things in your body."
Burkholder is impressed with the support from the community over the past few years.
"We have lots of stuff for our raffle table that people have donated. We don't even know the people. They must have met us some place … and I guess they remember me," he said.
Burkholder expressed his thanks to Boire for setting up the fundraiser at the church, and the staff at St. Joseph's Hospital for their care.
"It's great to have a dialysis clinic here. I thank all of the nurses at St. Joseph's for what they do," he said.
