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Jimmy caught up with Mandawuy Yunnipingu at a Yirrkala school graduation ceremonyThe Jimmy Little Foundation was established to help improve kidney health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across regional and remote Australia. Dr James O Little AO is a legend of the Australian music scene and has been performing for over fifty years. After two years on dialysis and a successful kidney transplant, he realised the importance of all Australians being able to access quality health care no matter where they live and wanted to make a concrete contribution to those communities most affected by kidney disease. Jimmy is living proof that there can be productive life after diagnosis of kidney disease which is decimating indigenous Australians at an alarming rate.
* Kidney failure affects 15,000 Australians, with 2,000 new patients requiring dialysis or a transplant each year to stay alive.
* In some remote Indigenous communities the incidence of kidney failure is:
- 30 – 50 times the national average
- responsible for more than one third of aboriginal deaths
* 50% of sufferers live in regions with no dialysis facilities forcing them to take long road trips sometimes twice a week or to relocate far away from their communities.
While most Australians are living longer than ever before, one in every three indigenous Australian males can expect to die before they reach the age of 55. (Oxfam Australia)
Fundraising
The Jimmy Little Foundation is a not for profit charitable institution with DGR - tax exempt status, and is able to take donations from individuals, corporate sponsors and private companies.
To date the JLF has received support from several major companies and government agencies as well as many provate citizens. Some dedicated fundraising activities such as the book "Portraits of a place without people" ( see news) will be undertaken in 2009 / 10
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