There are over 3,500 children and young adults living with kidney disease in the UK. Kidney disease is tough for every patient, but for young people it can be particularly challenging. Children are robbed of their childhood and young adults become isolated when all they want is to feel normal and fit in with their peers. Time lost through dialysis or treatment means school is often disrupted and restricted diets and fluid intake makes it hard to fit in with the social activities of peers.
The activity breaks funded by Kidney Care UK offer some much needed respite from the day to day challenges of living with kidney disease.
The young people arrive on Friday afternoon feeling isolated, overwhelmed by their condition and not knowing where to turn. They leave on Monday morning with a renewed sense of purpose, feeling more in control of their lives and saying “I can” do anything if I put my mind to it.
During the weekend they can take part in numerous challenging outdoor activities such as kayaking, archery, abseiling and raft building which helps them develop new skills and build confidence. Informal workshops provide useful support and information on topics such as diet and exercise, medication and treatment enabling patients to feel more in control of their illness. And, plenty of free time is built in to the programmes to encourage social interaction and sharing of experiences which helps them build solid peer to peer relationships and support.
Watch our campaign video (above) to see the huge positive impact these activity breaks have on the lives of every young person who attends.
Georgie Dawes
"The best thing for me is the fact that I am with other young people who understand what it is like to have an illness. I can talk to them without fear of people not understanding me and my condition."
Please donate online. Your gift will go towards the activity breaks funded by Kidney Care UK each year and you’ll be helping even more young kidney patients say “I can”.
- A gift of just £10 could cover the cost of a patient attending one outdoor activity or workshop during their stay.
- A donation of £76 could cover the cost of one patient attending an activity break for a whole day which includes food, accommodation, activities, workshops and medical support.
- Or, a donation of £264 could pay for a young kidney patient to attend a whole residential weekend.
