Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page 

On the 24th June this year, it will be 25 years since I received my life giving kidney transplant. To celebrate this huge milestone for me I have decided to complete 25k of walking in memory of my amazing donor. 

It is my aim to raise funds for Kidney Care UK and at the same time I wish to help raise awareness of organ donation and the incredible things it achieves. 

My story. 

I was born on the 29th October 1991 - a month earlier than planned (due to kidney problems showing on scans). After spending my first 10 hours in ICU, I was taken to the Children’s Renal Ward at the Newcastle RVI for further investigations. My doctors wanted to find out the problems which were present on the scans. The information that came back was that I was diagnosed with ESRF (End Stage Renal Failure) due to Bilateral Cystic Dysplasia.

My family were told I would need a kidney transplant. This was a huge shock to my parents as you can imagine.

I remained in hospital for another month before I was allowed to be taken home. My early days were very difficult – I was tube fed from a month until my first transplant because it was apparent that I didn’t feed very well and had lost too much weight.

I also received growth hormone injections daily from being one year old. I finally managed to gain enough weight to be added to the transplant list, which I finally joined at the age of 4. Life still wasn’t easy – I regularly vomited everyday – sometimes up to 4 times. Then shortly after my 5th Birthday I received my first call for a potential transplant at the age of 5 in December 1996.

Sadly, this was not meant to be, as due to internal bleeding the kidney had to be removed the day after I received it. This also meant I was effectively “back to square one” as I kept vomiting every day, and I was again back on the transplant list. Luckily my wait was not very long, as approximately 6 months (still age 5 !) I received the call for my second kidney transplant - which was a massive success! 

After 25 years it is still keeping me going and allowing me to do things which after my start in life my family and I would never have dreamed possible.

Since my successful kidney transplant, I have regularly been attending the British Transplant Games (Both as part of my hospital’s Children’s and Adults teams) since Birmingham 1999. 

I also regularly take part in the Young Adult Kidney Residential Weekend which us held in the Peak District since 2013 - which is funded by Kidney Care UK to support young adults between ages 18-30 and I always enjoy it.