I am enjoying the fundraising more than I expected! My motive was simple; I have a husband who, in June 2022, developed Goodpasture's out of the blue, and went from being a strong fit man in his early 70s to being permanently exhausted.

The staff at the Renal Unit of the Northern General in Sheffield saved his life as his immune system destroyed both kidneys and started to attack his lungs. This was in the midst of Covid and doctors’ strikes; he was discharged (with Covid) whilst still very ill and in need of emergency haemodialysis. We had no idea what to do.

Because of the chaos at the time, there was no information from the unit on dialysis, diet, caring for your kidneys, and he wasn’t attending any clinic where we could get help.

That’s when I found the NKF helpline, with excellent information leaflets and webinars. The NKF gave me the immediate practical help I needed with recipe books, dealing with the dreaded itches, fatigue, and all the complications that emerge during the course of haemodialysis.

After a long wait, challenging times and a torturous hospital journey, my husband finally had a transplant late last July, and I was, by a minor miracle, a good enough match to be a living donor.

The transplant team and aftercare have been superb; we know that we were very fortunate.

I recovered well, but my husband still has some problems and is finding it challenging to recover with his fitness and stamina after so long with no kidney function. This walking challenge is definitely more challenging for him!

I planned originally to just do the Best Foot Forward challenge in April, but then I realised it was World Kidney Day, so I thought I would combine the challenge with raising awareness of kidney disease. I went to my choir, and gave a short talk all about kidney disease and in two weeks they donated £500. Enthused, I did the same with my U3A Geology group and raised yet more money. Now I am working on friends and family and anyone else who will listen!

My April challenge began on Easter Monday. I help organise (with a wonderful team) a huge Duck Race event in a local park for conservation work and family facilities in the park. I walked 7 miles that day… up and down the park!

We are now away on our first holiday in four years. We plan to revisit our favourite Yorkshire places in the Dales, the North York Moors and on the coast, and hopefully we will be able to do some walks together, reaching the 72,208 steps.

For a small charity, the NKF punches well above its weight!