Kidney Matters - Issue 12 Spring 2021
Kidney Matters is our free quarterly magazine for everyone affected by kidney disease. This issue includes a tribute to Kidney Care UK Chair of Trustees Professor Donal O'Donoghue who passed away due to covid-19 at the start of the year. There's also a feature on sex and relationships, how your views helped shape covid-19 national policy, medical articles on anaemia and simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation, and a feature interview with a transplant recipient on some of the social stigmas often faced by people with chronic health conditions within the Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community. As well as this, we'll be looking back at two years of the Kidney Kitchen as we cook up a tasty tandoori with guest chef and RNG dietitian, Gabby Ramlan.
Kidney Matters is our free quarterly magazine for everyone affected by kidney disease.
This issue includes a tribute to Kidney Care UK Chair of Trustees Professor Donal O'Donoghue who passed away due to covid-19 at the start of the year. There's also a feature on sex and relationships, how your views helped shape covid-19 national policy, medical articles on anaemia and simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation, and a feature interview with a transplant recipient on some of the social stigmas often faced by people with chronic health conditions within the Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community.
As well as this, we'll be looking back at two years of the Kidney Kitchen as we cook up a tasty tandoori with guest chef and RNG dietitian, Gabby Ramlan.
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Welcome to
Kidney Matters
Message
from the
editor
Hello everyone,
On behalf of all of us at Kidney Care UK, I hope you
are all settling in to the new year. So many of us have
endured a year full of anxiety and worry, and along
with the subdued seasonal celebrations, I know that
a return to any form of “normality” may still feel a
long way off. But I do firmly believe there is light at
the end of the tunnel.
The vaccination programme is rolling out with a
promise that all kidney patients will be vaccinated
by mid-February, and we continue to lobby the
Government to get vaccinations carried out at local
kidney units. In addition, the Brexit deal means that
holidays and respite, so vital to patients’ wellbeing,
will continue to be supported by the EHIC or new
GHIC cards. I am positive that 2021 will bring some
relief to the whole kidney community.
However, as we start looking to life post Covid, we
must spare a thought for all the friends, family
members and colleagues we have lost to this cruel
virus. At Kidney Care UK we started the year with the
sad news of the untimely passing of our Chairman,
Donal O’Donoghue OBE. Many of you will have known
Donal and of his huge achievements over the last 30
years to support kidney patients and their care. Our
thoughts are with Donal’s wife Marie and his family,
and all the other families who have lost a loved one.
Let’s all take a minute to remember our friends and
colleagues, and please stay safe.
Paul Bristow,
Chief Executive, Kidney Care UK
©Kidney Care UK 2021 is the operating name of the British Kidney
Patient Association. A charitable company limited by guarantee.
Registered in England and Wales (1228114). A charity registered
in England and Wales (270288), and Scotland (SCO48198).
Kidney Kitchen is a registered trademark of the British Kidney
Patient Association.
Welcome to the spring 2021 issue of Kidney Matters.
Whilst we know from experience that we can’t take
anything for granted, there does seem to be a real
sense of optimism in the air.
As many of us receive our vaccination to protect us
from Covid-19, welcoming back a level of freedom
we haven’t enjoyed for an entire year, maybe this is
the year to take a step back and remind ourselves
that many of the really good things in life don’t need
to be complicated or cost much. Just taking a walk
outside in the fresh air again, reading your Kidney
Matters a bit later in the day as the evenings become
lighter, or cooking up a tasty kidney-friendly meal
with some friends will make us smile again.
As usual, we are bursting at the seams with up-todate
news on what is going on in our world. In this
issue, we take a close look at our most intimate
relationships and offer some insight into how to
position our chronic kidney disease (CKD) in these.
We also shine a spotlight on how anaemia affects us
and the life-transforming potential of simultaneous
pancreas and kidney transplantation, and we hear
from some truly amazing people with attitude (and
CKD) who live great lives.
Enjoy the read!
Deborah Duval
Who’s who
Editor...............................................Deborah Duval
Deputy Editor............................................Sue Lyon
Deputy Editor... .................................Sumaya Masood
Designer ...............idmedia (contact jd@idmedia.uk.com)
Kidney Kitchen photos ...Beth Druce www.bethdruce.com
Printing, packing & posting..........www.pollardsprint.co.uk
Get in touch
Visit: www.kidneycareuk.org E: info@kidneycareuk.org
Call us on: 01420 541424
Kidney Care UK, 3 The Windmills, St Mary’s Close,
Turk Street, Alton, GU34 1EF
Issue 12 | Spring 2021
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