Currently, more than 70 people visit the hospital in Ettelbruck to use the dialysis machines. This renal replacement therapy removes excess water, blood and toxins from kidneys for people whose kidneys are unable to perform these functions naturally anymore.
The Gersons go to the Ettelbruck hospital three times a week, taking the lift up to the fifth floor to both undergo dialysis, which lasts around three hours.
The couple have been married for 63 years. Marie-Louise Gerson is 83 years old and has needed to undergo renal replacement therapy since December. Her husband Henri is 84 and has been doing dialysis for two years now. Henri Gerson's blood pressure is measured every thirty minutes, and each patient must be weighed before treatment.
There has been a substantial increase in the number of dialysis treatments over the past several decades. The hospital carried out more than 2,600 treatments in 1990. By 2019, almost thirty years later, that figure has increased to 11,230.
In the event of kidney transplants, patients must be transferred to hospitals in Liege or Brussels. For the Gersons, both are considered too old to receive a new kidney. High blood pressure, being overweight, and high amounts of sugar can all lead to kidney disease and - eventually- dialysis. Health authorities believe that raising awareness and informing the population are crucial elements to reducing kidney issues in Luxembourg.
Video in Luxembourgish.
