MORGAN CITY, La. (KLFY) -- The fifth annual Boogie on the Bayou was held in Morgan City to support NephCure's efforts to provide better treatments for kidney disease patients.
Since being founded in 2000, NephCure has provided more than $40 million in support of medical research. There are over 60 clinical trials that are currently studying new treatment therapies.
The fundraiser took place at Gros Marina, where the owners, Leroy and Wanda Gros, have held the event for the past five years.
"It took us to lose somebody with it to realize what it's about because a lot of people don't realize there's no cure," Wanda said. "It's either dialysis or a transplant, and you have to have a donor."
NephCure board member, Joshua Roy, said he joined the organization to help find a cure for his brother. Roy's brother has had three kidney transplants and is currently on dialysis since being diagnosed.
"Nathan is actually the reason why I'm involved," Roy said. "He was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome when he was 12 years old. "He's now 38 years old. We're 50 weeks apart. We're very close."
For NephCure's work in catering to individuals from diverse backgrounds and demographic groups, Roy says no one is left behind in their journey to improve their health.
"There's so many great things going on with NephCure," Roy said. "It's all over the country, all over the world, it's international."
A spokesperson for NephCure said it raised roughly $42,000 from the event.
