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Teaching assistant shares
her wait for a kidney as part of national campaign
A teaching assistant is video blogging her wait for a
kidney as a national campaign highlights the number of patients waiting for
transplants across the UK. Figures released by NHS Blood and
Transplant show that of the 7000 patients in the UK currently waiting on the
transplant list, 30% have been waiting more than 2 years while 500 have been
waiting for longer than 5 years.
Across Merseyside, more than 180 people are currently waiting for a
life changing kidney transplant.
Holly, 28, has been sharing her experiences of dialysis and the anxious wait
for a suitable donor. The teaching assistant, whose first video blog about
her wait for a kidney has already been watched more than 3000 times, was 17
when she was diagnosed with kidney failure and told she would need to go on
dialysis until a suitable donor was found. Despite family members being
tested for a suitable kidney, none were compatible.
Holly said:- "When I was told that I needed a new kidney, it was a
huge shock to me and my family. Being on dialysis is very restrictive. One
of the side effects is that I get very tired very easily, which means I
can't take my dog, Buddy, for long walks and I have to plan my route to make
sure there's a bench so I can rest."
After waiting for 3 years, Holly had her 1st transplant in 2008. However,
after 6 years of living with a new kidney, Holly now needs another
transplant and is back on a dialysis machine. "I know that I'm waiting for someone; a family; to
make a special decision. I want people to know that that decision can
transform a life. It only takes a few minutes to register; those few minutes
can make a big difference."
Holly, from Warrington, has been trained to use a dialysis machine at home,
which now means she doesn't have to make the 40 mile round trip to the Royal
for treatment 3 to 5 times a week. "I would love to be able to live a normal life and get back to work
and back to taking my dog for long walks; it's my favourite thing to do.
Dialysis leaves me feeling completely wiped out, but it's keeping me alive."
The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is a regional centre for kidney
transplantation, treating patients from Merseyside, Cheshire and North
Wales. In the last year the Royal performed 102 kidney transplants, 41 of
which were form living donors. However there are still 185 people, like
Holly, who are still on the waiting list in the Merseyside and Cheshire
region.
Dr Peter Hampshire, clinical lead for organ donation at the Royal Liverpool
University Hospital, said:- "For many people that wait for an organ
can extend into years and it's a wait where what you need the most may never
come.
Every day 3 people in need of a transplant across the UK die waiting for a
donor. Compared to our everyday frustrations, the wait for a donated organ
really is a matter of life and death.
Joining the NHS Organ Donation Register can really make a difference; 1
donor could potentially change the lives of up to 8 lives."
You can join the register
online or by calling:- 0300 123
2323.
You can also view Holly's video on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #TimeToSign.
Holly is also documenting her transplant on her
blog. |
