The cyclists are battling with fatigue, injuries, dehydration and lack of sleep due to the extremely demanding training programme (which will soon thankfully come to an end), while the committee and support crew are feeling the strain of keeping the whole LifeCycle juggernaut moving, from resolving accommodation problems to booking ferries, finding enough drivers, sourcing foodstuffs and medical supplies, arranging TV features and of course ensuring that companies who have sponsored the challenge get the benefits they have been promised.
With all this going on, we could perhaps be forgiven for sometimes losing sight of the main goal of all this activity; namely, to raise funds for the Mater Dei Renal Unit in Malta, so that it can buy equipment and skills to improve the quality of life for people in Malta with renal failure. And we shouldn’t forget the second goal either – which is to increase significantly the number of people carrying a donor card in Malta and Gozo, so that more kidney transplants may be possible in the long term.
On Monday 26th July, the weekly team briefing session was joined by two guests, each with their own different story to tell about renal failure, dialysis and the hope of an organ transplant.
Our first guest, Priscilla Buttigieg
(centre in above photo), has needed dialysis all her life, and is still waiting for a suitable donor so that she can receive a kidney transplant. She spoke of the difficulties in securing employment that she and others face, due to the regular need for time-consuming dialysis, and the lack of understanding unfortunately still shown by many employers.
Our second guest speaker Amy Zahra
(left in above photo) is quite well-known in Malta as her story has made the news on more than one occasion. After she lost the lower part of both legs and also her fingers due to meningococcal septicaemia aged 21, she rallied from this incredible blow and continued life with amazing gusto. Then, just three years later, she found herself with kidney failure and had to endure a period of dialysis before receiving one of her father’s kidneys through a “live donation”.
Both Amy and Priscilla have shown and continue to show extraordinary courage, and their willingness to speak about their experiences has inspired the entire LifeCycle team at a tough time in our preparations.
Liz Micallef
(right in above photo), one of the two physiotherapists who are travelling with LifeCycle as part of the backup team, also spoke about her father’s renal failure a few years ago, and how the hard work and care of the Renal Unit staff still needs to be accompanied by better resources, including access to psychological services.
These three stories offer an insight into why LifeCycle exists and, with over 250 people in Malta needing regular dialysis, why every Euro raised and every new donor card issued is so important.
