Newcastle Bridges Walk gives kidney patients hope amid exhausting dialysis regime
A kidney patient from County Durham, who has endured eight and a half years of dialysis treatment, has joined hundreds of people in Newcastle for a fundraising event to support research into kidney disease.
John McCrum, 49, lived with a transplanted kidney for ten years, but had to return to dialysis when this sadly failed in 2020. He is currently on the waiting list for a second life-changing transplant.
John says: “I’ve been a carer for my dad for the past eight years, as he has dementia. Dialysis makes that more difficult, and it’s worrying not knowing how long I’ll be around to support him if I don’t receive a transplant soon.
“I’m determined to make a difference by participating in the Newcastle Bridges Walk alongside staff and patients from my dialysis unit. It has given us something to look forward to, breaking up our exhausting dialysis regime.
“Kidney disease is not talked about enough. People don’t understand the ramifications in the same way as something like cancer. As a kidney patient, I don’t always feel seen or heard. I hope we can raise awareness in Newcastle and fund more research.
“I hope one day kidney transplants become more accessible, so people like me won’t have to wait years and years on dialysis.
John’s story
At two years old, John was already experiencing illness and kidney infections, prompting a visit to Shotley Bridge Hospital.
John says: “My immune system wasn’t working at all. I caught measles, mumps and everything you could think of. I spent most of my time in an oxygen tent. Eventually doctors told me I was the first person in Europe to be diagnosed as having been born with a duplex kidney – having two kidneys on one side of the body in addition to a kidney on the other side.
“I wasn’t able to spend much time at school. Every time I went, I’d catch an illness and be in hospital again. It was very isolating and affected my mental health. I had annual check-ups with a renal consultant at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle to monitor my kidney health, and they continued to function until I was in my thirties.
“When they failed, I had to have dialysis and waited three and a half years for my transplant. That was from a deceased donor and lasted for ten years. It gave me more freedom, but I still needed a huge amount of medication. It was better than being on dialysis and gave me some of my life back.”
After a kidney transplant, one in five patients experience a narrowing of the tube (called the ureter) carrying urine to the bladder. This can often be treated by surgery, but for John it led to his transplanted kidney failing, forcing him back onto dialysis.
John says: “I wasn’t able to have surgery in time, and it was incredibly frustrating to lose my kidney. Being back on dialysis for the past five years has been very upsetting and has affected my mental health. I’ve not received much professional support with that.
“I’ve met a lot of people on my dialysis unit and it’s nice being able to talk to people who understand what I’m going through. Unfortunately, I’ve also experienced a lot of people dying and that has been hard. You start to think about how long your own life will be and it can feel like you’re just waiting to die. It’s hard to explain because you’re also waiting for a transplant, but you have no idea if or when it will happen.
“Exercise is the main thing that has kept me going. I enjoy lifting weights, but since I’ve been back on dialysis my body has not been able to keep up. It takes its toll and causes me a lot of pain. Instead, I now put my earphones in and get on my mountain bike in the fresh air to sort my head out. I cycle at every opportunity.”
Newcastle Bridges Walk
John walked with hundreds of supporters of Kidney Research UK at the Newcastle Bridges Walk on Sunday 8 June. The event began at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, with over 250 participants having the choice of walking 6.5 miles or a shorter route of 2.1 miles.
John says: “I heard about the event from a friend on dialysis, and it has given us something to look forward to. It will be a break from my routine of dialysis, and it’ll be nice to meet other people on the day who understand the impact of kidney disease.
“It’s important to raise awareness and hopefully we can do that. Not enough has changed for kidney patients over the years and I hope the event can raise lots of money for research.”
Together, our Team Kidney walkers have raised over £22,000 and the total is still increasing.
Want to join us at an event?
Sign up for a challenge and join Team Kidney to fundraise to vital research. Whatever you want to do, we have an event to suit you.