Mum’s kidney transplant gift spurs on London Marathon runner

Jonny says: “Life was great. I kept myself really fit, played golf and football, loved to travel and enjoyed socialising with friends. I had no idea anything was wrong. That’s the thing with kidney disease, it can affect anyone.

“I only went to the GP because I began having headaches. I thought maybe they were migraines and I was advised to take paracetamol. When my health didn’t improve, I pushed for answers and a quick test showed my blood pressure was through the roof. A blood test then found I had less than 15% kidney function.

“I couldn’t believe it when I got that call. I’d just arrived home from playing football and was being told I needed to go to hospital with an overnight bag. I didn’t feel unwell and thought it must be some misunderstanding because of a freak blood test result. However, further tests and a biopsy confirmed the worst. I was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy. It was surreal.

“In hindsight, there were subtle signs I was unwell shortly before my diagnosis. However, it was all easily explained away. People often said I looked pale in photographs, but I thought I just lacked a suntan. When I did come back from Thailand after one trip, my ankles became really swollen but I thought that was the result of sitting on a long flight. I never imagined they were signs of kidney disease.”

How Mum changed my life

When it became clear Jonny would need a kidney transplant, his mum, Eileen, did not hesitate to put herself forward as his donor.

Jonny says: “No matter what I said, Mum was going to give me a kidney. There was no question about it. Now I’m a parent myself, I understand the lengths you’d go to for your children. Naturally I was worried about Mum, but the transplant team spent lots of time with us to put our minds at ease.

“The testing process took ten months, but knowing Mum was going to donate a kidney made my time on dialysis more bearable. Some patients are on dialysis for years before a kidney becomes available, so I was grateful that Mum made the wait for a transplant a lot shorter than it could have been.

“On the day of the transplant, it was a big relief to find out Mum’s surgery had been successful before I went down to receive the kidney. We were treated on different wards, but I was taken in a wheelchair to see her the following day.

Running the London Marathon

On Sunday 26 April, Jonny will join more than 50 runners fundraising for Kidney Research UK at the TSC London Marathon.

Jonny says: “It’s an amazing opportunity to push myself while raising money for a cause close to my heart. I ran the Edinburgh Half Marathon for Kidney Research UK a decade ago, so thought it was time to take on a new challenge.

“Training has been going well but it is exhausting. I’m expecting the crowds to be amazing on the day, so hopefully everyone cheering us on will get me through it. Even if I have to hobble over the finish line, I will get there!

“Kathryn and our two children - Emily and Harry - will be there supporting me on the day. My Mum and Dad would have loved to have joined them, but won’t be able to unfortunately. I’ll make sure to facetime Mum once I cross the finish line!

“There are so many different kidney diseases and areas to research, so I hope the money raised by everyone at the London Marathon will make a big difference.”

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