Dunfermline mum's hope for kidney donor after tragic loss of husband

After husband Andy's death, Kerry Brown, 38, ran the London marathon in his memory and raised thousands of pounds for charity in the process.

The active mum-of-three, however, was struck another devastating blow four years later when was told she had suffered complete kidney failure after contracting Covid.

She now has to have dialysis three times a week and is desperately hoping to find a donor so that she can live a normal life with her children, Eve, 15, Connor, 13 and Lewis, 6.

Kerry with children, Eve, 15, Connor, 13 and Lewis, 6. (Image: Contributed).

"I am on the transplant list but you can wait quite a few years for that – because of my age and things, a live donor is a better option purely because it tends to work better and last longer," she explained.

"Because I am on the transplant list, it means means I cannot travel further than four hours from Edinburgh. There are just so many things I cannot do.

"Because of the effects of dialysis, there is still the fatigue. A normal person's kidneys are cleaning the body 24 hours a day. I am only getting four hours, three times a week, so I don't feel very well.

"It affects everything that I am able to do. I can't travel with the kids, that is a big thing for them. Again, because I am on my own, especially with the older ones, I feel like this is the start of the last years I have got to go abroad, with them so it impacts on everything, work, travel, exercise.

Kerry has to have dialysis three times a week after being diagnosed with kidney failure. (Image: Contributed)

"I am trying to be the best parent and mum I can be but it is very challenging."

Kerry took herself to A&E after she had suffered a general feeling of being unwell which included fatigue, tremors, a loss of appetite and breathlessness and a heavy nose bleed while at home with the children.

"I had no previous issues with my kidneys, no previous health conditions at all. I was really fit and healthy so I was very, very out of the blue when it happened. It was a shock," she said.

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"I was bathing my little boy Lewis and I had a really bad nose bleed. It was enough for me to think something isn't right. My gut feeling was I need to check this out.

"I drove myself to A&E. Thank God I did. I explained my symptoms and still thought my body was struggling to fight an infection and asked them to check my bloods.

"The bloods came back and I was in complete kidney failure and it spiralled from there. I was admitted straight away and I had a kidney biopsy which showed it was an autoimmune disease called good pastures syndrome which is very rare and one in a million people have it."

Raising awareness as part of World Kidney Day, Kerry said her life changed "instantly" with the diagnosis.

"I remember being in hospital and being in complete and utter shock. I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words how I felt," she said.

"Even then, I didn't understand what that meant for me. I remember there being a sense of panic thinking this is serious and asking the doctor am I going to die, and the fear of not being around for my kids.

"All through this, the kids are what keep me going in everything I do. A lot of people are saying how strong I am but that is for them.

"We had the trauma of losing my husband back in 2018. They associate my husband going to hospital with being really ill and he didn't make it, so there was that fear of their mum in hospital."

Kerry has to have dialysis three times a week after being diagnosed with kidney failure. (Image: Contributed)

Kerry still manages to work and fits in some exercise too around her regular visits to the Queen Margaret Hospital.

"The organisation I work for has been absolutely amazing as I can not do the hours in the job I was doing previously," she explained. "I basically have to work around dialysis.

"I try and work after but the effects are rough. You have got the fatigue and my blood pressure is up and down. You don't know how well you will feel after a dialysis session. Some days I come in and have to sleep and can't do anything."

Family members have already been tested to see if they could donate their kidneys without success.

Anyone wanting to see if they able to donate a kidney can call 0131 2421703 or email loth.livingkidneydonation@nhs.scot, making them aware you would like to be tested to donate a kidney to Kerry Brown (12/02/1986) who is receiving dialysis treatment at Queen Margaret Hospital.