I am part of Team "CARPE DIEM"

So far the team is made up of 6 people all raising money for the same thing. This story isn't about me.  This is about a my wonderful friend Christian.  This is her story.

In December 2013 my dear friend Christian was looking forward to her sons return from Uni to spend a family Christmas together after his first term @ Edinburgh Uni.  Bobby was 19 at the time, such a happy gentle soul with a constant smile on his face.  Bobby had always been healthy and active but complained of being sick daily for over a month. Christian took him straight to the doctors. One phone call from the hospital later, their world came crashing down. " Bobby needs to get to Hospital ASAP, he has kidney failure!" (Bobby had a kidney function of 3, people who suffer kidney failure start their dialysis when their kidney function falls below 15 and dialysis become a way of life until a match is found for a transplant) 

Once Bobby was stable enough they transferred him in the early hours of 18th December to Leicester General Hospital Ward 15 where the tests began. Bobby's blood results were so bad that even the consultants asked how he had survived with the amount of poison in his blood stream as his kidneys couldn't do their job. It got worse... Bobby only had 1 kidney!

Leicester Hospital were amazing, they allowed Christian to sleep in a little side room for 5 days until Bobby was stable enough to bring home for Christmas. Once fitted with a permcath for his hemodialysis he was discharged on 23rd December with his first dialysis booked for Boxing Day in Corby. He would need 3 sessions a week for 4 hours a session. It was during his 5 day stay in Leicester that his mum vowed to raise funds for a new dialysis machine one day.

Bobby never ever complained, he was grateful to be alive. He smiled daily & accepted that going back to Uni was not an option at this moment in time even though it devastated him. Bobby was lucky, Christian was a match and so their long journey began.

Dialysis Monday-Wednesday-Friday for Bobby  & bloods to be grouped, cross-matched, then lectures for the donor/recipient, medical assessment GFR kidney function (glomerular filtration rate) bloods, urine, blood pressure, chest x-ray, ECG & an assessment by the transplant doctor, a spiral CT scan of her bladder & kidneys for Christian. Consultant meetings & finally meeting an Independent Assessor for HTA......

20th March 2014 Professor Nicholson successfully performed a miracle in my eyes and took Christain's kidney and transplanted it into her son. Christain will always be grateful to Prof, Ward 15 (John Wallis Renal Unit), Ward 17 (Transplant ward) and not forgetting Rose the transplant co-ordinator who kept their family going. How long her kidney will last is not a matter of Bobby staying healthy or being afraid to live his life to the max for fear of damaging himself, to her its luck, pure luck if your body will accept it or reject it.

Bobby will need more transplants in the future and is on medication for life but he remains a happy gentle soul and is healthy as can be & has returned to Uni. 

Over the next 10 years Christian, myself and any friends who would like to are aiming to raise £25,000 going under the name "Carpe Diem" for each fundraising/sponsored event we will be taking part in. Originally for a new dialysis machine but since Leicester Charity have been in touch they have explained they need new chairs for patients when they dialyse. Each chair is £2,500 so that is what we are starting off with...5 chairs for patients to receive dialysis in comfort..

Kidney Care Appeal will also receive some of the raised money as they are directly linked to Leicester Hospital Charity.

Kidney failure is a silent disease and if not caught in time can be fatal. Please help in raising funds for this cause. Dialysis is what keeps people alive while waiting for a matching donor.

Thank you for taking the time to read Bobby & Christians story.

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