Douglas’s Story

I have thoroughly enjoyed my voluntary role within a part of a group of other volunteers, Experts by Experience a project by local Plymouth Health and Wellbeing Charity Well Connected.

I joined in 2022 and having the opportunity to discuss my journey as a patient with a hidden illness to University Medical students, not only helps the students to understand the patients journey, I believe it is also beneficial to the positivity of the patients journey. The fact we all get to support each other too.

My journey since 2015 with Chronic Kidney Disease is far from over, where I get the chance to raise awareness of my 9 year rollercoaster journey, from diagnosis, to dialysis, transplantation, transplant rejection and beyond.

This voluntary role coincides with my wife Annemarie and myself as Volunteer Community Ambassadors in Plymouth for Kidney Research UK since 2019.