I am trying to raise funds for the renal unit at Altnagelvin. I am writing this story to tell you about the brave man I am married to, My husband Ivan. Ivan was diagnosed with Myeloma a blood cancer in 2011, its been a long journey through illness for him working through his first few years until he was forced to retire in 2015. Ivan received a stem cell transplant in 2012 which was very severe on his body through this transplant he lost the use of his kidneys and went immediately on to dialysis. Most people think this is just another illness and dialysis keeps you alive which is true but no one realises how hard this is on Ivan's body, he has been amazing though the whole ordeal, going to training sessions in Belfast in the use of the dialysis machine which we do at home, 4 times a week for 4 to 5 hour sessions, the worst thing is that Ivan can not get a kidney transplant as the medication you need to keep a new kidney working makes his type of cancer cells grow. So that was another blow, dialysis is keeping Ivan alive. Ivan and I really appreciate all the renal unit at Altnagelvin do for him without their support I don't know how we would cope, Ivan is a very independent man he has tried to take control of his own body, Doctors and nurses at Altnagelvin think he is amazing at how he copes with his illnesses. Ivan also had a heart attack this year and is now attending cardiac clinics, renal unit clinic and the cancer unit clinic. I am very proud to be Ivan's wife he is an inspiration to us all always trying to be positive and full of craic, if you were a stranger now meeting Ivan for the first time you would never believe just how much he goes through in a week. I am asking all my family and friends to help me raise money for the Renal unit at Altnagelvin by going into the sea at Lisfannon on Christmas Moring 10:00am. We have raised over £8000 in the past for cancer research, but this time I hope to raise money for the unit who support us so much.