Update 29th September 2010 - Following magnificent support from family, friends and colleagues, to date, I have raised £5,674 for kidney related charities - almost doubling my original target!  May I take this opportunity to thank everyone most sincerely who contributed so generously towards my Coast to Coast charity walk.  As a result the following donations will be made:

1.  £2093 for Kidney Research UK;

2.  £2010 for the Renal Unit, Wonford Hospital, Exeter;

3.  £1571 for the Bristol Area Kidney Patients Association (BAKPA). 

Finally, I have extended the closure of my Justgiving web page to 15th Oct 2010 so if any friends or colleagues would like to add to the grand total you still have time.    

 

At 1500 on Saturday 5th June I hobbled into Robin Hood's Bay on the east coast of England.  After 15 days of continuous, and on occasions, arduous walking, through three National Parks - The Lake District, The Yorkshire Dales and The North York Moors, I completed Wainwright's 200 mile Coast to Coast walk - mission accomplished!  Thank you to everyone for your fantastic support and generous donations.  Thanks also to my friend and walking companion Graham de Bolla for his support and encouragement throughout, especially when times got tough.  This webpage will remain active for a few weeks longer so any futher contributions will be very much appreciated and help me to achieve my target of £3000.

 

In late-March 2008 my 18 year old daughter Helen made a routine visit to her doctor. Within days, following a series of exhaustive tests, Helen was confronted with the devastating news that she was suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease. The only course of treatment was a kidney transplant. The diagnosis came completely out of the blue as Helen had never shown any real signs of ill health. Following a series of tests on close family members, Helen's brother Paul, aged 25, was found to be the best match.  With Helen's health deteriorating rapidly her transplant went ahead at Southmead Hospital, Bristol on 3rd July 2009.  

 

The trauma of Helen's illness has been a life changing experience to us all.  It is not until you are personally involved in an illness of such gravity that you come to realise that you are not alone and a number of people's lives are affected in a similar way.  Thanks to the professionalism and dedication of hosptial consultants, surgeons, nursing staff and post op support staff both Helen and Paul are now doing well and on the road to recovery.

 

I am planning a 200 mile walk in Alfred Wainwright's footsteps from 'Coast to Coast' in late-May/early-June 2010. The walk will commence at St Bees Head, west coast of England on Saturday 22nd May and finish 15 days later at Robin Hood's Bay on the east coast on Saturday 5th June.   

 

I am launching this appeal to raise money through the Justgiving 'Kidney Research UK' webpage.  Your donations online, however, large or small, will be greatly appreciated and contributions will be divided equally to assist the following:

Kidney Research UK - fund life-saving research into kidney disease, improve the quality of life of those with kidney disorders and increase public awareness of kidney health.  For more information go to www.kidneyresearchuk.org

Exeter Wonford Hospital Kidney Unit Development - Helen received wonderful pre and post op care and support from the team at the Kidney Unit, Wonford Hospital.  Money raised will be put towards the development and improvement of the renal day case area which will benefit many renal patients for years to come.

Bristol Area Kidney Patients Association (BAKPA) 'Hales House', Southmead - a charity funded private house managed by BAKPA where the Windsor family stayed whilst Helen was having her kidney transplant. 

 

I would like like to take this opportunity to pay special tributes to Helen and Paul.  Throughout a lenghty period of illness Helen has maintained her sense of humour and kept a smile on her face, even through the darkest days.  No words can describe the immense admiration and respect that my wife, Caraline, and I have for our son Paul who unselfishly donated one of his kidneys in order to save his sister's life.

 

I am delighted to receive your support and to even join me on the walk along the way.

 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.