Over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, I will be walking the Ridgeway, an 87 mile long ancient National Trail, passing through the North Wessex Downs and Chilterns from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.
I'm getting married in August, so I've decided to forego the traditional stag do in favour of a chance to participate in a significant physical challenge, and raise some money for a cause very close to my heart (or kidneys)
Two years ago, out of the blue, I was taken seriously ill. After being rushed to Southmead hospital in Bristol, I was told that my kidneys had stopped working. It transpired that I was suffering from atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (aHUS), a rare, life-threatening genetic condition that results in part of the immune system attacking vital organs like the kidneys
Thanks to the wonderful medical staff at Southmead hospital, who nursed me through an in-patient stay of over a month, and six months of dialysis, I was able to set out on the long road to recovery. But the real life line came when I was prescribed a wonder drug called eculizumab, which has enabled me to regulate my immune system, and lead a relatively normal life again. My kidney function is still only around a third of what it should be for my age, and I'm unable to participate in some of the more physically demanding sports, but in doing this walk, I'm pushing myself to the limits of physical exertion.
A huge thanks to those hardy souls who have risen to the challenge to join me on this epic venture - Paul Maddison, Paul Coleman, Christian Boulter, Jamie Partridge, Matt Powell, Paul Roe and most significantly Dan Shirlaw, who's organisational skills have made this all possible. Thanks also to those providing their support from the comfort of various hostelries along the way and providing logistical support in the form of luggage shifting. This truly is a team effort!
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https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/research/case-study-ahus
This is why I am supporting Kidney Research UK and aHUSUK's research fundraising campaign "Answers for aHUS" aHUS is an extremely rare genetic immune disorder that leads, among other things, to kidney failure.
Over the past 20 years Kidney Research UK has funded studies which have built a greater understanding of the causes and how to treat it.
Today ,although a treatment is now available, there are still more questions about the disease that need to be answered.
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