Running for Mum and Kidney Health NZ

I'm lucky to have my mum still in my life.

As a single mother raising two young boys, what started out as back pains, was diagnosed as double renal failure. Doctors told her two things were most likely, dialysis or death.

By some miracle, a technique to restart her kidneys worked and Mum made a full recovery. It's only become clear as I've grown up and circumstances have changed that I have appreciated how close I came to losing the woman who is the rock in my life and made my brother and I want for nothing in what were tough times, unbeknownst to us.

It's estimated over 400,000 New Zealanders have chronic kidney diseases. Hundreds are currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, and nearly 3000 who, as a result of kidney failure, face the ordeal of having to spend four to eight hours every second day connected to a dialysis machine. Currently, one in 10 kiwis lives are heading in that direction if their kidney disease goes undetected. And the majority of those with the disease will be blithely unaware of it.

Your kidneys filter out and expel all the bad stuff in your blood and are the little engines that keep your body running. So it's time I gave back and run for them and for Mum.

I'm running the Hawke's Bay Half Marathon in May and all money raised will go to Kidney Health NZ to help support their work and fund research into the prevention, early detection and cure of kidney disease.

Thanks for taking the time to read and donate anything you can, even if it's just words of support. I'll keep you all updated on my progress and race day. :)

For more info on Kidney Health NZ and kidney diseases go to their website:

https://www.kidneys.co.nz/