6 Years ago I was diagnosed with Alports syndrome, a hereditary kidney disease which had been lying dormant in me since birth. This disease hits men in their early thirties and low and behold it was shortly after my 33rd birthday I ended up in hospital.

I now have kidney dialysis 3 times a week, Monday Wednesday and Fridays, 7am. The treatment lasts just over 4 hours at the Sussex Kidney unit in Brighton. The staff at the unit are truely wonderful and literally save my life 3 times a week. Without their care i would be dead within a week. Not only is their care wonderful, the poor sods have to put up with me that early in the morning and for that alone they should all be given sainthoods.

 

I have now been on the kidney transplant list for 12 months, waiting for that call that will hopefully give me some modicum of life back. I started running to get as fit as possible for what is a pretty major operation and this marathon (26 miles!!!) is the culmination of all my training. I dont run fast, I plod along with my ipod in, maybe I should start listening to the Chemical Brothers rather than Nick Drake? However I hope to finish the marathon in around the 5 and a half hour mark.

 

I  am raising money for SEKPA, the South East Kidney Patients Association. They help out patients in difficulty and generally make dialysis patients life a wee bit easier.

 

Anything you can give would be greatly appreciated, even a quid. If you live in Sussex come down on april 18th and cheer me on, I reckon I will need all the encouragment I can get. If you are on facebook there is a group called Iain keeps on running where you can find updates etc.

 

THANK YOU X