Thank you for visiting my fundraising page.

I will be going to Peru in April 2007 for ten day trek to raise money for the Renal centre at NorthwickPark Hospital.

There is nothing pleasant about any long term disabling illness and particularly one like kidney disease. A positive attitude to illness may be desirable from the point of view of the people around the patient, but putting on a bright face is difficult to maintain day in day out.

Kidney disease can affect people of any age, and up to 10% of the population has some degree of chronic kidney disease. It is estimated that more than 13,000 people in the U.K die each year from illness and conditions which affect the kidney. West London has the highest incidence of endstage renal failure in the United Kingdom. Renal failure is particularly common with patients who suffer from diabetes.

If a person's kidneys fail, then they stop removing waste products (like urea) from the blood. These toxic waste products build up and will eventually kill the person. In dialysis, a patients blood is passed through a dialysis machine. The dialysis machine takes over the job of their kidneys, removing waste products from the blood.

Living with renal disease and undergoing dialysis is a trying and difficult but not an impossible task. After the initial adjustment to kidney failure, people on dialysis continue facing many life changes. Fatigue and changes in body image can weigh heavily on one's ability to cope. Being confronted by a no-nonsense renal diet and fluid restrictions, along with the daily medication regime, come as quite a shock to virtually every new kidney patient.

Most patients take several different medications daily, spend 12 or more hours per week doing dialysis (this is a significant amount of a person's week) and are required to severely modify what they eat and drink 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Encouragement, hope and a healthy dose of "cheerleading" from family, friends and health care workers in particular make all the difference in the world in keeping the patient's spirits up and helping them perservere.

 The Renal centre at Northwick Park Hospital carries out dialysis for patients during the night as well as during the day. Although funds are available for the day to day running of the centre. Additional support would assist them in providing much needed additional facilities within the department.

The money that I will be raising will be to support the Renal Centre at Norhwick Park Hospital. The funds will be used within the Renal Centre. As many of you know The Renal Centre has provided amazing support to our family over the last 5 years and we feel that we would like to support them in what they do. 

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to donate: The Charitable funds of Charing Cross, Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's Hospitals will receive your money electronically and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in Gift Aid will be added to your donation at no cost to you.

Please donate generously.

Many thanks for your support.