Paul Silcox was diagnosed with a debilitating form of kidney disease called Chronic Nephritis in 1975, when he was just 22, and had to wait two years before finally receiving a kidney transplant.
Now 58, and having gone on to marry, have a family and win countless medals as an athlete, Paul is using his place in a leading male voice choir to reach out to his donor’s family – penning a song which is not only intended to express his gratitude but also raise vital funds for charity.
“I was diagnosed with kidney failure after suffering from headaches, fatigue, nausea and joint pain,” explained Paul.
“When I eventually got round to seeing the doctor it was discovered I had stage four kidney failure, meaning my kidneys had all but stopped working!
“I was confined to a wheelchair and put on dialysis for eight hours a day, three times a week. I was too weak to walk upstairs and had to be placed on a restricted diet, which meant I could only drink half a cup of liquid a day.
“After 18 months on dialysis I finally got a call from the hospital in Cardiff to say they had a kidney for me. I didn’t want to take it at first, because of the risks involved, but my father - the most cautious man I’ve ever known - persuaded me I had to grab the chance with both hands.”
Fortunately, the transplant was a success and Paul was released from hospital two weeks later.
Having read news of a plane crash the day after his operation, Paul spent the next 32 years believing his kidney had belonged to a middle aged pilot. It wasn’t until recently – just two years ago – that he learned exactly who he had to thank for his second chance at life.
“At the time I had the operation, transplant recipients weren’t encouraged to contact their donors,” recalled Paul.
“This has changed over time and in 2009 a nurse at my local renal clinic suggested I look into it.
“She checked the records from 1977 and found that the kidney I’d received had come from a 12-year-old boy, who’d been knocked off his bike and killed.
“Naturally this came as quite a shock, as my own son was 12 at the time. Although my wife and I tried writing several letters to the boy’s mother to express our condolences we just couldn’t find the words.”
Not wishing to cause his donor’s mother any further anguish by making direct contact, Paul instead asked his choir’s accompanist, Chris Langworthy, to help him put his feelings into song.
“It seemed like a very natural thing to do,” explained Paul. “Chris composed the melody while my wife, Claire, wrote the lyrics which are sung by the choir.
“The result has been a really moving piece of music which we hope will go some way to explaining just how thankful we both are.”
Although there is no guarantee that the mother of Paul’s donor will ever hear the song, entitled ‘Gift of Life’, he and Claire remain optimistic about the positive affect it could have.
“It would be nice if she heard it and realised it was intended for her, as I’d like her to know how truly grateful I am.
“Because of the transplant, I got a chance to live a long and happy life – the life her son should have had. At the very least I want to say thank you.”
As well as being a moving personal tribute, Paul hopes the music will provide a source of comfort for transplant recipients throughout the UK who would like to thank their donors.
The song will also form part of a special album to be released by Brecon Male Voice Choir on World Kidney Day [08 March 2012]. Proceeds from CD sales and downloads will go to national charity Kidney Research UK, who will use the money to fund further studies into kidney disease – a potentially fatal illness which affects more than three million people in the UK and cannot currently be cured.
Professor Neil Turner, Chairman of the Charity, said: “Paul is going to great lengths to do what he feels is right and thank his donor’s family – an indication of what the transplant has meant to him.
“While transplantation is currently the best form of treatment available to kidney patients, it’s important to stress that a transplant is by no means a cure for kidney disease.
“A staggering 7,000 people in the UK are currently waiting for a kidney transplant. Much, more research is needed if we are to help these people and eradicate kidney disease once and for all.”
For more information about kidney disease or to learn more about the work being done by Kidney Research UK, please visit: www.kidneyresearchuk.org.
ENDS
Media contacts:
Kidney Research UK Press Office: 01733 367860 or out of hours: 07956 151782
E-mail: pressoffice@kidneyresearchuk.org Web: www.kidneyresearchuk.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
About Kidney Research UK
Kidney Research UK is the largest funder dedicated to research into kidney disease in the UK. Founded in 1961, the organisation recently celebrated its 50th anniversary supporting ground-breaking medical research to save lives.
Kidney disease is a silent killer and every year around 50,000 people undergo treatment for kidney failure, 3,000 people die on dialysis, while 300 die waiting for a kidney transplant.
Kidney Research UK is dedicated to substantially reducing these numbers through funding life-saving research into kidney disease and by generating public awareness of kidney health.
90 per cent of people on the transplant list are waiting for a kidney, which is approximately 7,000 patients. Even though cases of kidney failure are increasing by five per cent every year, Kidney Research UK is currently only able to fund one in five research projects it receives proposals for, all of which are aimed at enhancing treatments and ultimately finding a cure for kidney disease.