The Standard Issue 4 2023

CHARITY CHAMPIONS
BY SOO BARTHOLOMEW
MBICSc
Generous guests attending the
BICSc Awards are always incredibly
supportive of the Chairman’s Charity
fundraiser and this year’s event raised
the most money ever!
At this year’s awards event a total of
£2,060 was raised for The Chairman’s
Charity Prize Draw which for the first
time was in aid of Guy’s & St Thomas’
Kidney Patients’ Association, a cause
very close to the heart of BICSc new
chair Soo Bartholomew.
Soo wanted to help shine a spotlight
on the amazing work of the association
which has helped her and her family
after her youngest daughter Claire
was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
when she was just eight-years-old and
was insulin dependent.
Soo explained: “During her teens
Claire began to have problems
controlling her blood sugars,
which eventually led to numerous
complications because it is such a
horrible disease and it resulted in her
kidneys failing in late 2018 which
meant she had to go onto dialysis
in early 2019. She was put onto
the transplant list at the same time
because she was only 30-years-old
at that time and she wanted to have
some sort of life going forward.
“It was very tough for the next three
years. We had to move house and she
had to move back in with us, she lost
her job and was unable to work and
because of other health complications,
including osteoporosis, which is also
another byproduct of being diabetic,
she broke her pelvis in three places
and had a stroke.
“Fortunately after numerous tests
we were able to get her back on
the transplant list and she had her
transplant in August of 2022. She had
a double transplant, pancreas and
kidney, so she is no longer diabetic,
no longer has kidney failure and is
no longer on dialysis. Unfortunately
THE STANDARD
because of all the other problems she
had and because of the suspension of
the transplant list during Covid, she
still has lots of problems.
“That aside, the fact that she no longer
has to get up at 5am three mornings a
week for us to take her to dialysis and
she doesn’t have to spend half a day on
dialysis is absolutely wonderful.”
Soo explained the mental toll
everything has taken on her daughter.
“Going to sleep every night and
wondering if you are going to wake
up affects her mentally, it all has an
impact. There are lots of costs to
also deal with and that’s where the
patients association really helps.”
“We are financially secure so didn’t
have to call on the organisation to
help in that respect, but there are a lot
of people who aren’t and they need
help. The money that was raised at the
awards night will help patients get to
the hospital and support their families
while they are having their transplant.”
The money raised will also help
provide support for patients
undergoing treatment and transplants
in the hospital where there is a day
room for patients’ families to await the
outcome of their operations.
Soo said: “It is a very worrying time
when they disappear into the hands
of a surgeon for 12 hours.”
“I am a very strong person and
I try to keep a positive outlook
about things and if there is
something that I can do I will.
You have to look at these
things positively and you
have to always be optimistic
that there will be a positive
outcome at the end of
the day."
Janice Stephens, Treasurer, Guy’s & St
Thomas’ Kidney Patients' Association
said: “Thanks very much. This money
will be used to support kidney patients
at the hospital. We do this in various
ways e.g. by supporting social events
for dialysis patients, funding research
projects, supporting attendance at the
transplant games and promote organ
donation.”
Soo said: “It is the most ever raised
at one of our events. Claire is also
pleased about how much has been
raised and she knows how this will
help so many families.”
Claire’s best friend is still on the
waiting list and they are hoping she
will have a transplant soon. Claire, Soo
and family will be there to support her
through everything.
Soo added: “Her best friend calls me
Mama Soo and Claire calls them twins
as they have been through the same
things together.”
Next year Soo’s chosen charity will be
Diabetes UK and she hopes during her
tenure as chair that she can continue
to “support these charities and help
them in any small way because at the
end of the day it is a pebble
in the pond”.
SOO BARTHOLOMEW
National Chairman