I recently met Dr Paul Harden, a renal consultant from Oxford at the World Transplant Games. He was one of the Team GB doctors and his clinical model at the Young Adult Clinic in Oxford is inspiring. It's a unique community-based set-up and the methods he uses in renal patient care are very engaging. He focuses on providing peer to peer support for teenagers and young adults, which is so vitally important for youngsters when they suffer kidney failure - a support structure that I would have definitely benefited from.

Teenagers find it really hard to cope with a chronic illness and often go off the rails, and they are twice as likely to lose their kidney transplant if they do not receive customised and tailored support. The clinic's services have reduced treatment failure by 40% over the last 4 years.

I've been so impressed I have transfered my renal care over to his clinic and have also started mentoring young patients. The most important piece of advice I can give them is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and no matter how tough it gets, you can go on and live a normal and healthy life.

A few of us are taking part in The Argus bike ride to help raise funds for the Young Adult Clinic so they can continue to run this service and help start a similar service in Cape Town, South Africa.

Please help us give these young adults a means of interacting with one another and help them start out their adult lives successfully.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

 

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