878 miles from John o’ Groats to Land’s End – without leaving hospital

An Addenbrooke’s kidney patient has completed a long-distance cycling challenge from John o’ Groats to Land’s End – without leaving the hospital’s dialysis unit.

 

Barrie Mill – who is 64, and from Saffron Walden – went into renal failure in 1966, aged 18. He was one of the first patients in the UK to undergo dialysis, and since then he has had three kidney transplants.

 

Over the last seven weeks he has pedalled 878 miles on a special ‘dialysis cycle’ strapped to his treatment chair.

 

He said: “I enjoy exercise and staying fit, and cycling from John o’ Groats to Land’s End was always a lifelong ambition. Doing it on dialysis is not quite the same as doing it for real – but it is still an achievement. One day I would still like to do the journey on the road.”

 

The Addenbrooke’s Kidney Patients Association (AKPA) has paid for 20 of the ‘dialysis cycles’ for patients to use at the hospital and its satellite dialysis units, and money raised from Barrie’s bike ride will pay for more exercise bikes.

 

Alan Craig, from AKPA, said: “Kidney patients like Barrie spend hours every week undergoing treatment. Keeping fit is a good way of passing the time – but we also believe that exercising during dialysis can make the treatment more effective by boosting circulation. If that helps the dialysis machine to filter the patient’s blood more effectively then they will benefit from shorter sessions and improved wellbeing.”

 

To support Barrie’s ride, go to www.justgiving.com/akpa and make a donation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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