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.
34C O N T I N U E DOn our discharge, my mother spent a few weeksconvalescing at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight. So Ididn’t see her at all for some time. It was a lot to deal withas a 13-year-old. But I was, and remain very grateful tomy mother.Sadly, my mother passed away in 1998 for reasonsunrelated to the donation. Her kidney, however, lives onin me 40 years on from our transplant, and is now a totalof 85 years old.Welly-throwing training at Stokes BayIn 1980 I started to compete in the Transplant Games.In those days the event was a much more low-key event,but I have fond memories of those early games and theirsimplicity. ‘Welly-throwing’ was a sport back then and Iremember training for that on the beach at Stokes Bay,where we lived.I’m sure many passers-by wondered what a teenage girlwas doing throwing wellington boots across the beachfor all she was worth!I continue to compete in the British Games and WorldGames as part of Team GB, usually in Badminton andTable Tennis. I have made a lot of friends at the Gamesand, sadly, lost a lot of those as well, as the years passby. In 2017 I was awarded the Peter Griffin LifetimeAchievement award at the British Games, which meant alot to me.Life as a specialist renal nurseAfter leaving school, I trained as a nurse at the RoyalLondon Hospital in the East End of London, qualifyingin 1988. My grandmother had also trained there in the1920s. My mother was a Royal Navy nurse in Singaporeand trained at Great Ormond Street.1978. With my parents at Buckingham Palace wheremy father received the Military OBE. He went on tobecome Honorary Surgeon to HRM The QueenAs a result of my personal experience, in 2001 I becamea specialist children’s renal nurse. I am still in touch withsome of the transplant recipients I nursed all thoseyears ago. I think perhaps that the personal experienceI brought to my job really helped many patients during adifficult time in their lives.I gave up nursing in 2006 after 21 years in the NHS andam now enjoying early retirement. I remain incrediblygrateful to my late mum and the NHS for the life Icontinue to enjoy. My kidney is incredibly precious to me.We still visit Stokes Bay on a regular basis. The beachand the view across the Solent to Osborne Housenever fail to remind me of throwing wellies and my mumconvalescing on the other side of the water, all thoseyears ago.Transplant success for KidneyMatter cover star!We are delighted to announce that Kidney Matters cover star, Steve Harrisonreceived a successful kidney transplant on 7 December. Great news, Steve andDonna. Keep up with that hiking!ONE FOR THE DIARYKidney Care in Scotland in 2021Join us at this year’s ‘Kidney Care in Scotland’ event on 11 March 2021 from 6pm to 7.30pm. Hosted by Kidney Care UK &Living Donation Scotland, join our webinar with talks on the subjects affecting us today - including mental health, kidneykitchen, patient perspective, interactive sessions and much more. For further information please contact Kidney CareUK Advocacy Officer, Lynne Cunningham at lynne.cunningham@kidneycareuk.orgOoops! We would like to apologise to Vicki Ness who appeared in our winter 2020 issue, for saying that she is a dialysispatient. Whilst Vicki IS a highly competent nurse, she is definitely not a dialysis patient. Sorry Vicki!www.kidneycareuk.org
35Professor Donal O’Donoghue OBEloses his battle with Covid-19Tributes have poured in from across the renal worldafter the sad passing of Professor Donal O’Donoghueon 3 January.Everyone here at Kidney Care UK is deeply saddenedby Donal’s untimely passing. He was an inspirationto so many in our community. He was tireless in hissupport for kidney patients, never hesitating to listento all, to highlight inequalities and promote the bestpossible care for kidney patients.Donal’s impact on the kidney community has beenimmense. Having been a consultant renal physiciansince 1992 he has also been the inaugural Presidentof the British Renal Society, President of the RenalAssociation, and the first National Clinical Directorof Kidney Care at the Department of Health between2007 and 2013. Having spent more than 30 yearsworking to improve the care of people with kidneydisease, Donal had also been the Chair of Trustees ofKidney Care UK since 2016.Donal, affectionately known as the ‘big daddy of renalcare’ was awarded an OBE for services to kidneypatients, in 2018.The Renal Association and Royal College of Physicianshave opened a wall of condolence should anyone wishto leave a messagewww.everloved.com/life-of/donal-odonoghue/Our thoughts and sympathies go to his wife Marie, theirthree children and four grandchildren.The Renal Association and Royal College of Physicianswill be holding a memorial in the summer when it ishoped we can all come together to celebrate andhonour his life and incredible achievements.We are honoured that Donal’s family have requestedthat any donations be made to Kidney Care UK, and beused to continue his efforts to support kidney patientsand their familiesIf you’d like to make a donation in memory ofDonal, please visit:www.justgiving.com/campaign/DonalIn loving memoryMany of us lost a family member, friend or dialysis companions to Covid-19 over the past year. Every time we here atKidney Care UK receive news that someone we knew, in whatever capacity, has lost their fight against Covid-19, weare all devastated. It affects us deeply. We all pray that, as the vaccination programme rolls out across the country,we emerge into a safer world and one where we may get together to celebrate the lives of the friends we have lost.Issue 12 | Spring 2021
- Page 1 and 2: Winter Spring 2020 2021Issue 12 11B
- Page 3 and 4: 3Welcome toKidney MattersMessagefro
- Page 5 and 6: 5could and will go wrong so that I
- Page 7 and 8: 7“The physical impact ofkidney di
- Page 9 and 10: Personsname here9Sarah Greenthis mi
- Page 11 and 12: Members of the Guy’stransplant te
- Page 13 and 14: 13Walk this way - thanks to mysimul
- Page 15 and 16: Cooking in the kidney kitchen with
- Page 17 and 18: 17These are the questions I keep as
- Page 19 and 20: 19air inside the bottle top. After
- Page 21 and 22: 21Sunil explains: “The problem is
- Page 23 and 24: LEARN MORE23HD units from the UK we
- Page 25 and 26: With my son, Daniel25Recognising wh
- Page 27 and 28: 06 27Key dates forgetting involvedS
- Page 29 and 30: LEARN MORE29Eleri WoodProfessor Nic
- Page 31 and 32: 31kidney patients, and the need for
- Page 33: 33I was then referred to the kidney
- Page 37 and 38: 37Protecting kidney patients: theCo
- Page 39 and 40: Sign up foryour freecopyWhether you
35
Professor Donal O’Donoghue OBE
loses his battle with Covid-19
Tributes have poured in from across the renal world
after the sad passing of Professor Donal O’Donoghue
on 3 January.
Everyone here at Kidney Care UK is deeply saddened
by Donal’s untimely passing. He was an inspiration
to so many in our community. He was tireless in his
support for kidney patients, never hesitating to listen
to all, to highlight inequalities and promote the best
possible care for kidney patients.
Donal’s impact on the kidney community has been
immense. Having been a consultant renal physician
since 1992 he has also been the inaugural President
of the British Renal Society, President of the Renal
Association, and the first National Clinical Director
of Kidney Care at the Department of Health between
2007 and 2013. Having spent more than 30 years
working to improve the care of people with kidney
disease, Donal had also been the Chair of Trustees of
Kidney Care UK since 2016.
Donal, affectionately known as the ‘big daddy of renal
care’ was awarded an OBE for services to kidney
patients, in 2018.
The Renal Association and Royal College of Physicians
have opened a wall of condolence should anyone wish
to leave a message
www.everloved.com/life-of/donal-odonoghue/
Our thoughts and sympathies go to his wife Marie, their
three children and four grandchildren.
The Renal Association and Royal College of Physicians
will be holding a memorial in the summer when it is
hoped we can all come together to celebrate and
honour his life and incredible achievements.
We are honoured that Donal’s family have requested
that any donations be made to Kidney Care UK, and be
used to continue his efforts to support kidney patients
and their families
If you’d like to make a donation in memory of
Donal, please visit:
www.justgiving.com/campaign/Donal
In loving memory
Many of us lost a family member, friend or dialysis companions to Covid-19 over the past year. Every time we here at
Kidney Care UK receive news that someone we knew, in whatever capacity, has lost their fight against Covid-19, we
are all devastated. It affects us deeply. We all pray that, as the vaccination programme rolls out across the country,
we emerge into a safer world and one where we may get together to celebrate the lives of the friends we have lost.
Issue 12 | Spring 2021
Change language