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Kidney Patient Transforms Struggle into Support Group
26 Sep
Summary
- A former paramedic diagnosed with kidney disease in 2012 started a support group.
- He has been on dialysis since his brother's donor kidney failed in 2021.
- He aims to reduce shame and apprehension around organ donation in ethnic communities.
Izzy Mohammed, a 50-year-old from Bradford, has established a support group for kidney disease patients, transforming his own challenging experience into a community resource. Mohammed was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2012 while working as a paramedic.
His brother donated a kidney in 2013, but this transplant failed in 2021, leading Mohammed to commence dialysis treatment. He described living with kidney disease and undergoing dialysis as a 'lonely place' where one can feel lost after diagnosis.
Mohammed also highlighted the difficulties in discussing organ donation, particularly within ethnic minority communities, where apprehension is common. He noted that consulting his mosque's imam helped clarify that saving a life is a commendable act. He also shared his initial conflict about accepting a kidney from his brother, who insisted on helping.
