Hi guys, thanks for visiting my JustGiving page!

On the 28th of October I will be running the London half-marathon for Kidney Research UK, an often overlooked charity doing fantastic work for millions of people. Let me start by giving you an insight into the work of Kidney Research UK. The charity is now in its 50th year and supports research into kidney disease, its causes, treatment and management. Their research spans from genetics and understanding the basis of kidney disease, right up to transplant and treatment options such as dialysis.

My personal ties with this charity are through my grandfather. He was diagnosed with kidney failure in 1997, which meant the beginning of dialysis and a long wait on the donor register. Without going into too much detail, the process of dialysis means he was hooked up to a machine 3 times a week for four hours at a time - a schedule which really tied him to the hospital and often left him tired and sick by the end of the week. After 4 years, he finally got the call which could change his life – a match on the donor register. Sadly after a gruelling operation his body rejected the kidney and having barely survived the aftermath, he was forced to accept the possibility of living through a dialysis machine for the rest of his life.

The brilliant work of kidney research into dialysis enabled me to have my grandfather in my life 15 years more than I should have, and he was one of the longest surviving dialysis patients in the north-east. Clearly, my family and I have a lot to be thankful for and realise the importance of continued effort and backing.

With further support, the charity aims to give patients a better quality of life by finding alternatives to dialysis, having higher success in transplant operations and being able to say yes to many more worthy research proposals. Please visit the charity’s website, read some of the touching stories such as the Martha Appeal 2012, and get a feel for the scope of the charity’s work: http://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/home.php

Thanks for reading, dig deep and let’ s raise some money!

Georgia xx