30 June 2021
100 mile cycle ride for his kidney patients
Dr Shuman Haq is a Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist at Southampton Children’s Hospital, where he cares for and treats children with kidney disease.
“My team look after children with all kinds of kidney disease, including those who need dialysis and kidney transplants.
On average, we transplant five children a year. Our kidney transplants are done in Evelina Children’s Hospital in London, before the children are then transferred back to us for the after care.
As a consultant in the children’s hospital, I see first-hand everything these children and their families have to go through on a daily basis.
A kidney transplant significantly improves the life of a child with long-term kidney disease but it is not always plain sailing. The journey to transplantation, often via dialysis, is fraught with difficulties, both expected and unexpected.
The children and their families ride this rollercoaster with a humbling amount of bravery.
The impact on the child, their siblings, their parents and their wider family is difficult to comprehend. It can be all consuming at times.”
On Saturday 3 July, 30 people from Southampton Children’s Hospital and Evelina Children’s Hospital will be cycling between the two hospitals (Lambeth to Shirley Warren) covering a distance of 100 miles, to signify the route the children have to take for their transplant. Our team includes parents of transplant children, four kidney donors, friends and doctors.
“The Southampton team are raising money for Southampton Hospitals Charity, so we can send our kidney transplant patients and their families to the British Transplant Games. These are an annual event open to children who have had all types of transplants.
The event is an amazing four days where the children get to compete in a whole range of sports, much like the Olympics. There is so much emphasis on fun over the whole occasion!
Living with chronic kidney disease is very onerous. The Transplant Games are something that the child and their whole family can look forward to after they have fully recovered from their transplant.
I’m a recent convert to road cycling and this organised ride is a little something that I can do to help the children and their families.
I’ve been to the Transplant Games a couple of times, and the families clearly love it. The smiles on their faces make it all worthwhile.”
Our thanks to Fowler and Smith, Alresford, for sponsoring the London to Southampton cycling event.
Support our kidney patients today.
