Harry's story

Harry talks about his mum's life with kidney failure and Shared Care

"Kidney failure, a condition many people are unaware of, is a condition I have had to become very aware of the past few years. My mam was diagnosed with kidney reflux disease at age 5, which later on in life developed into kidney failure.

"She has now been in kidney failure for 6 years. Knowing that my own mam goes through the struggles of being exhausted every day and having to constantly worry about what she eats and how much she drinks and sitting there 3 hours a day 4 days a week makes me feel guilty. Makes me feel guilty that it's happening to her one of the sweetest most loving human beings on the earth.

"However it's the situation she has been put in so even though it's not exactly ideal it gives me a sense of comfort that she is able to dialysis in the comfort of her own home surrounded by the people she loves.

"I feel like she does a lot better now that she's at home she's a lot more confident in herself she's back to being that fun energetic mother and friend that always been with her but went to sleep when life didn't look up for her. Kidney failure will never be her biggest weakness it is and will always be her biggest strength.

"And this is my view on kidney failure."

As shared with Vicki Ness, Shared Care/HHD Assistant Practitioner at James Cook Hospital Middlesborough, SouthTees