Firstly Big love and thank you for taking the time to read this. For me it's the beginning of the end to the question are they an organ donor?

I'm raising awareness and funds for patients and families affected by Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). For those of you who don't know what PKD is - it's the world's most common inherited Kidney disease in which fluid filled cysts develop, multiply and grow in both kidneys. 
About 12.5 million people worldwide have this and over half those affected will have kidney failure by the time they are 60.  If someone has the disease then there is a 1 in 2 likelihood that the disease will be passed to each child born. It is currently incurable so someone will need dialysis, a transplant or will die from the kidney failure.

I have seen the impact of this on a family, as my mother and uncle both have the disease, have both had dialysis and have both been lucky enough to receive kidney transplants that were successful.

This is also the future that myself and my sister will face as we inherited the disease.

By someone making the decision to be an organ donor upon their death and share their wishes with their family - my mother and uncle and thousands of other patients and therefore their families have benefited from that and not just from their kidneys.

I'm asking you to know what your wishes are and register on https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-to-donate/ (it takes less than 2 minutes).

On the Saturday 23rd July I will be swimming across 10 of the London Lidos doing 2 laps in each and I'm asking you to consider sponsoring me on here. I'll be starting at Charlton then going onto London Fields, Finchley, Hampstead Ponds, Parliament Hill, Kings Cross, The Serpentine, Richmond, Brockwell and ending on Tooting Bec Lido for a casual 1500m. In total around 2288 metres.

Fancy joining me at your local lido? Let me know if you do and get in the water with me or share the question with those you know via facebook, in person- are you an organ donor and do your family know your wishes.

Get in contact if you would like to know more, or get involved. I say the more the merrier - the bigger the impact we can have together. xx

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.