When Macedon Ranges resident Daniel Craige was diagnosed with kidney failure at 25-years-old the news was “shattering”.
Over the following years Daniel said he continued to work full time, roll with punches, and just get on with things.
But by 31 Daniel required dialysis to keep him alive and was in hospital three days a week having treatment, all while raising a young family.
He said he didn’t know much about kidney failure prior to his diagnosis but the support of his now wife helped him through the process.
“[Her support] was huge, without her it would’ve been very different,” Daniel said.
When a phone call came at 4.58am on October 26, 2021, that there was a kidney for him, a wave of emotion washed over Daniel.
“I still can’t talk about that phone call, it gets me a little bit upset just thinking about it,” he said.
“It was a phone call we waited a long time for, almost two years we waited for that phone call. It was a very hard two years.
“I was on dialysis with a young family at the time and that phone call was huge.”
As Daniel received the transplant from an anonymous deceased donor he did not know much about him or even his name. Thus it was decided to call the kidney Jimmy.
“That’s why the team is called Team Jimmy,” Daniel explained.
While this is the first year Daniel will participate in the annual Kidney Kar Rally, he said he hopes to do it for the rest of his life.
With more than $3000 already raised to support KidneyHealth4Youth Programs, anyone can make a donation via the team’s official page.
Donations: shorturl.at/dvMQ7
Zoe Moffatt
