“When life gives you lemons, use them to make lemonade”. Day in, day out, dad lived by this philosophy overcoming obstacles to ensure his family and those around him continue to shine. He had the will to fight on, living each day as if it's a bonus.

Dad was a kidney patient for most of his life. A failed kidney transplant in 1991 made the possibility of another transplant one in a million. With this bleak prospect ahead of him, he decided not to let his condition get in the way of providing a secure family
upbringing for us.

In 1993, the hospital supported dad to begin home
dialysis. With the fortune of a back garden, they set up a portacabin as a mini-hospital. They trained him, mum, and us to care for him during dialysis treatment. 

With home dialysis stabilised, dad and mum took the next leap to explore the world and expose us to a wide variety of cultures. They started off with weekends away at St. Anne’s Home in Emsworth and built this up to weeks and months away on over 30
international trips. This included trips to USA, China, India and New Zealand, showing that if there’s a will, then there’s definitely a way! 

We benefited immensely from these adventures, experiencing new places and traditions, and most importantly, establishing a sense of normality. We don’t want families to be bound by the constraints of dialysis. We have benefited from the flexibility of home dialysis, as well as dad and mum's determination to travel despite dad's medical needs. His dreams were made a reality through charities such as the National Kidney Federation who provided guidance and advice on how to plan for local as well as international holidays. 

Till today, families benefit from the National Kidney Federation's network of patients and community organisations, all committed to enriching the lives of kidney patients and their families. This helped dad make the necessary arrangements to dialyse across the world, giving us the opportunity to broaden our horizons and create everlasting memories. 

Run by kidney patients for kidney patients, the charity supports two million people with Chronic Kidney Disease and 60,000 patients who have end stage kidney failure. The charity also supports Dialysis and Transplanted patients and their carers. The NKF offers a National Kidney Patients Helpline 0800 169 0936 offering medical information leaflets, help and advice - with trained staff answering around 200 calls a week.