It’s official! Kidneys are amazing organs that do so much to help keep us healthy and I think that they deserve their own day - right?

Well tomorrow (Thursday, 9th March) is World Kidney Day and it's an extra special day for me as back in January this year I received my longed-for kidney transplant after three years of dialysis whilst on the deceased donor waiting list.  I was born with kidney disease but it was only diagnosed in my mid-twenties, by which time I had already lost 60% of my kidney function.  You can see why kidney disease is called 'The Silent Killer'.

So what is World Kidney Day?

WKD is the biggest day in the kidney community calendar and aims to spread the word on

• how and why it's so important to look after your kidneys; and
• awareness of kidney disease

Here are some facts about kidneys and kidney disease

• Kidneys are roughly the size of your fist and are located deep in the abdomen, beneath the rib cage;
• They remove wastes and extra fluid from your blood and make urine;
• They help control your blood pressure and your body’s chemical balance; 
• They also help make vitamin D, red blood cells and keep your bones healthy;
• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects over 3.5 million people in the UK, many of who don't know they have it;
• 8 out of 10 of those on the transplant list are waiting for a kidney;
  

A bit about LAKPA

I'm a volunteer with  LAKPA (Lister Area Kidney Patients Association) which is the charity for the Woodford WIBN group run by the amazing Ruth Rood.  LAKPA are a volunteer-run charity which supports kidney patients, their families, carers and the renal staff that care for them every day of the year.  All our volunteers have had their lives impacted by kidney disease.

How LAKPA are celebrating World Kidney Day

To mark the day we've got loads of activities planned including a World Kidney Day stand at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage. 

Want to find out more?

Head on over to our website to find out about everything that we have planned. 

And for 'hot off the press' updates, you can also follow LAKPA here on our socials

https://www.facebook.com/LAKPA.org  
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lakpa/ 
https://www.instagram.com/lakpacharity/  

Thanks and Happy World Kidney Day Everyone!