KNOXVILLE (WATE) – More than 30 people have died in Tennessee due to the wintry weather. This number includes a dialysis patient in Hickman County who wasn’t able to make it to his treatment.

This incident could have happened to one of the many people living in East Tennessee who are on dialysis.

People transporting patients back and forth to dialysis treatments say traveling in the weather has been very challenging. They say it’s all worth it though because getting treatments is a matter of life or death.

Knoxville resident Kathy Riddle says it’s very stressful to find ways to get her husband to his dialysis treatments.

“We’ll that’s the only reason why we have this jeep is so I can pick him up and get him to dialysis,” she said.

The snow, ice and freezing temperatures over the past few weeks have caused her husband Dan to miss a couple of treatments. They’ve had car issues.

“Unfortunately it’s not a new jeep, so I had some troubles with starting and battery cables,” said Kathy.

Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee transit picks Dan up in the morning, but Kathy says sometimes it’s difficult due to road conditions.

CAC transit employees have to work every day no matter the weather.

“We’re committed, it takes a special breed, but we’re committed,” said Jones.

Jones says getting people to their dialysis treatments is top priority.

“If these people don’t get dialyzed they die,” said CAC transit employee Stan Jones.

He makes sure patients, like Tammy Brewer, get to and from her treatments three times a week.

“I’m really thankful and I’m blessed,” she said.

CAC’s service in bad weather is literally her lifeline. Brewer says the transportation saves her family trouble.

“I’m very thankful that they’re here to take me back and forth, it frees up my family so they can live their own lives,” she said.

The East Tennessee Human Resource Agency is available for residents in Knox County who need transportation to their treatments.

CAC says they transport 70 dialysis patients to their treatments on a weekly basis.

Advertisement

...