As we continue to celebrate Max and Keira's Law, here is a video of one of our participants Mark Dowding talking about his life and experiences of having two kidney transplants due to a familial kidney disease. Mark is a dedicated family man and was able to passionately pursue his career after his first transplant. Whilst being deeply grateful for a life free from dialysis, he is also extremely honest and up front about the serious complications that unfortunately came with both his transplants, and he highlights the significant mental health impact that he continues to live with as a result. People living with kidney disease are twice as likely to have a mental health problem.
Today, one of our sponsors Kidney Research UK, in partnership with the charity Centre for Mental Health, launched a new joint statement 'Kidney Disease and Mental Health' . Two of our Survivors participants - Holly Loughton and Sarah Green, have been advisors on the development of this statement, which highlights how vulnerable kidney patients already were before the coronavirus pandemic and shows their mental health could worsen even more. It also raises concerns about the impact on mental health among people with kidney disease who are being shielded and face a prolonged period of anxiety and isolation, with no sign of a way out. Both charities will be working closely together to urgently identify the best ways to support kidney patients.