This Christmas, hope looks different
For someone living with Polycystic Kidney Disease, Christmas can bring the challenges of the condition into sharper focus. While others are preparing to celebrate, people with PKD may be facing fatigue, uncertainty, hospital appointments, difficult decisions and fears about the future.
But with the right information, support and someone to talk to, hope can begin to replace uncertainty. This Christmas, we want to show how PKD Charity’s support can make a real difference at every stage of the PKD journey, from diagnosis and treatment to kidney failure, transplantation and beyond, and why your support is so vital.
Kim's story
Kim was diagnosed with PKD at 32, after the condition was identified in her four-year-old daughter during an ultrasound. For many years, her condition progressed relatively slowly. Over time, however, her kidney function declined, and she needed increasing treatment and support. In October 2024, Kim reached stage 5 kidney disease , and the future suddenly looked very different.
Transplant work-up began soon afterwards. Kim’s husband, Rupert, was found to be a direct match and their transplant was booked for February 2026. But just six days before the planned transplant, everything changed. Final cross-matching showed that Kim had developed antibodies against Rupert, and the transplant was cancelled.
Kim and Rupert then had to decide whether to wait for another donor to be assessed or enter the paired donor scheme. Rupert chose the paired scheme to give Kim the best possible chance of receiving the kidney she needed and, hopefully, avoiding dialysis.
Then came the call they had been waiting for.
In May 2026, they were told a match had been found. The following month, a six-way kidney swap took place and Kim received a kidney from a generous donor.
After years of uncertainty, Kim finally had her transplant.
"I didn't enjoy last Christmas"
Kim remembers last Christmas clearly. She was extremely unwell, feeling nauseous and weak, sleeping a lot and struggling with severe anaemia. Christmas was overshadowed by kidney failure and uncertainty about what the future would hold.
This year feels very different.
Kim is still experiencing some side effects from her post-transplant medication, but she feels well in a way she didn’t last Christmas.
“This year we are hoping to eat out and enjoy it more. I am still having issues with the side effects of the drugs post-transplant, but I feel well, unlike last year.”
For Kim, hope this Christmas doesn’t mean pretending PKD is suddenly behind her. It means being able to make plans again, spend time with the people she loves and look forward to what comes next.
"I knew I wasn't alone"
PKD Charity has been part of Kim’s journey from the beginning.
She first contacted our helpline when she and her young daughter were diagnosed and has returned to us for support at different stages of her illness.
She has also attended information sessions on subjects including anaemia, transplantation and kidney matching, and more recently has regularly attended our online Low Clearance Group.
For Kim, meeting other people going through kidney failure has been invaluable. It has given her somewhere to ask questions, hear from people who understand what she is experiencing and feel reassured that she is not facing it alone. Now, following her transplant, she is looking forward to joining our transplant group too.
Because support does not stop when you receive a new kidney. PKD is a lifelong journey, and having somewhere to turn at every stage matters. Kim’s story is just one example of why your support matters.
Your donation could help keep our helpline available for someone facing a frightening diagnosis or worrying symptoms. It could help us provide trusted information, run support groups and bring people together so they can learn, ask questions and connect with others who understand.
This Christmas, you can help make sure nobody faces PKD alone. Donate today and help us be there for everyone when they need it.