Kidney disease survivor raising funds to Kidney Research UK
Last year in June 2012 Barry Kent was diagnosed with final stage kidney disease at the young age of 34. Now he’s raising funds to Kidney Research UK. His kidney function rapidly dematerialised to only 4% function within a two week period and within a few weeks of the diagnosis he had to begin dialysis treatment
Last year in June 2012 Barry Kent was diagnosed with final stage kidney disease at the young age of 34. Now he’s raising funds to Kidney Research UK.
His kidney function rapidly dematerialised to only 4% function within a two week period and within a few weeks of the diagnosis he had to begin dialysis treatment four times a day, every day (every four hours) just to stay alive.
Being a healthy young man you can imagine his life turned upside down in such a short space of time.
He had to stop working and give up his dream of starting my own business as he spent most of the time in hospital for tests and treatments.
Dialysis treatment continued on a daily basis for just over 6 months.
Luckily he had a number of family members step forward to be tested as a potential kidney donor and his dad was the best match. After 4-5 months of further tests it was confirmed that his dad was fit and healthy enough to donate one of his kidney’s to Barry.
On 28th February 2013 his dad and he were both admitted into Oxford Transplant Centre for the life-saving surgery.
He’s pleased to say the surgery was a success and they are now both on the road to hopefully making a full recovery. He’s ever so thankful to his dad for what he has done – basically he has given him a second chance in life and Barry will be forever grateful to him for this.
In September he will be jumping out of a plane at over 15,000 feet (2 miles high) with an accelerated free-fall of over 120mph in aid of Kidney Research UK.
Skyline will train Barry over a 2 day period ready for the solo jump on day two. It’s his way of giving something back to the charity which has helped him through this extremely hard time in my life.
The event is happening in Swindon, Wiltshire.
MySoCalledGayLife.co.uk hopes that their visitors will help Barry to raise funds to Kidney Research UK so others with kidney disease will get the same great support as he has got.
You can donate here uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BarryKent and more information about Barry’s fund raiser.
Thank you to Barry Kent for sharing his story with us.