Farringtons seek better kidney care
Farringtons seek better kidney care
Farringtons seek better kidney care
A couple who met during dialysis have called on the government to do more to protect kidney patients from cardiovascular disease. Lee Farrington, 49, and his wife Kacey Farrington, 45, met at Cambridge Dialysis Centre in 2022 and married in April. Their experience has highlighted the need for more support for kidney patients, with Lee having two heart attacks while undergoing dialysis.
According to Kidney Research UK, people with kidney disease are six times more likely to experience a major heart attack or stroke.
Mike Chicalas and his wife Liz met in 2013, reconnected during the pandemic, and got married in 2023. Mike is currently back on dialysis and waiting for a third transplant.
John and Julia Churan have spoken out about their experience with dialysis. John was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that damaged his kidneys, and began dialysis. The couple had to navigate the challenges of in-center dialysis before switching to home hemodialysis using a Tablo Hemodialysis System.
Kimberlyn and Scott Myer, who met at Baystate Medical Center while on kidney dialysis, are also advocating for better care. They got married in 2017 and have been sharing their story to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.
Dawn and Jimmie, who met at a dialysis clinic, are also speaking out about their experience. Jimmie has been on dialysis and has had two transplants. The couple has been doing home hemodialysis using a NxStage system and says that it has improved Jimmie's quality of life.
Sevgi and Selahattin Çağdaş, a couple from Türkiye, met at a dialysis center and married 17 years ago. They are calling for increased organ donations to help save the lives of others waiting for transplants.
The government has recently unveiled a new cardiovascular disease strategy, which recognizes the link between heart disease and kidney disease. Sir Stephen Powis, a trustee of Kidney Research UK and former medical director of NHS England, said: "This strategy has the once-in-a-generation potential to save thousands of kidney patients' lives.
Kacey said she realised "how much Lee meant" to her after his first heart attack. "Over the years, I've seen lots of patients become seriously unwell and pass away, but I'd never been so emotionally affected by it," Kacey said.
Lee proposed to Kacey during another stay at Addenbrooke's Hospital – and the couple were married earlier this year. They said they were unsure what lies ahead in regards to their health, but urged the government to better support kidney patients.
Kacey added: "Since everything Lee has gone through, I worry much more about my own heart health, especially after 30 years of illness. Protecting our other organs would make a huge difference for kidney patients. It would put far less strain on our bodies and save lives."
