Since the ceremony on Friday to lay the Donor Stone in Alexandra Gardens I have been trying to find the right words to express how I felt. Following what was an extremely moving ceremony I was asked to do press interviews which I did the reasons why I will explain later. It wasn't until I was sat in the car park of the flying club where I had just dropped Nick off that I broke down and cried. If I am honest I didn't just cry I sobbed and it was only then I realised why. I haven't grieved for the loss if my transplant; I just got on with life back on dialysis. It was there sat in that car park that I realised how guilty I felt that I had failed to keep that precious gift a stranger had given to me safe. No mater how hard I tried - I took my tablets on time, went to all my check ups, I ate properly and kept fit and active. Non of this stopped my kidney disease from coming back. What I have to remember is that I did have 71/2 wonderful years before it failed.
Kidney disease is no respecter of people it will attack the young, old and all ages in between. You only need to attend an outpatients clinic in Suite 18 UHW The Heath to see the diversity of people who suffer with some form of Renal Disease. All ages and every element of the social scale. A hotchpotch of humanity. In the words of our campaign they are "People Like Us". Please don't ever forget that people like me aren't just patients. I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a niece and a friend but most of all I'm a human being that deserves a decent standard of treatment.

Back to the reason I agreed to be interviewed by the press. I felt very awkward being photographed by the Donor Stone as I felt a bit of an impostor. The ceremony on Friday was for the families whose loved ones had donated organs to save the lives of others. The only reason I did it was I believe it is vitally important to get the issue of organ donation and kidney disease into the newspapers and to public attention as often as possible.

I am still feeling emotionally raw after Friday and I expect I am not the only one. I would like to once again say thank you with all my heart to all the families that say yes to organ donation.