Five days after returning from Spain, on 23rd October 2003, I found Allan having a seizure on his bedroom floor. I got him to hospital and after a night of tests and four more seizures he was found to have end-stage kidney failure. The nightmare had begun.
He was transferred to James Cooke Hospital in Middlesbrough and began kidney dialysis the very next day. From then on he would be dialysed three times a week and after discharge from hospital 11 days later he was to be transported back and forth in a taxi for those gruelling 3-4 hour sessions, each round trip taking up to seven hours at a time. Each dialysis session left him tired and shaky and brought back the migraines with a vengeance. He had tubes sticking out of his chest for the dialysis and had to get used to a whole new regime of extremely strict diet and restricted life-style on top of the physical problems he already had. His only hope was for a kidney transplant, he was placed on the National Transplant Register and Debbie, David and I began rigorous medical tests to see if we could donate one of our kidneys.
There were some bad times that winter. One night his dialysis tubes came out in bed at home and he was rushed to hospital covered in blood, another time he was meant to have an operation to form a fistula in his arm to make dialysis easier but he was too scared to go through with it. He was brave and usually optimistic but his spirit had taken a battering.
By the December Allan was keen to get back to college, he was missing his friends and his social life, so I arranged with his tutors for him to go part-time on non-dialysis days. He was given a massive welcome, his mates had all made get-well cards and gifts and held a lovely presentation for him. He was also desperate to get back to his youth clubs, though his evening dialysis sessions interfered with that.
Our internet friends rallied round yet again with a collection and sent us hundreds of pounds of vouchers, we had a lovely shopping spree and bought items such as a mini hi-fi for Allan and a bath-spa for me. Others sent gifts and cards to help keep our spirits up and yet another organised named bricks in the 'Wall of Fame' at Sunderland AFC Stadium of Light. Allan was so happy and proud.
On his 20th birthday in March 2004 Allan had a party in our local McDonalds, he wasn't allowed to eat chips or his favourite cheeseburgers but he held the party to thank his college mates for their caring. It was a hilarious afternoon! Allan was trying to live as normal a life as possible and was still full of fun and laughter whenever he felt well enough.
Then that Easter Debbie and Steve came up for the weekend and we had a wonderful day at the seaside with David, Lynsey and Megan. I was over the moon to have all my family with me, but none of us could know it was to be our last precious time all together.
In April Allan finally had the operation to form the fistula in his arm, it was to take the place of the tubes in his chest but would take 6 to 8 weeks to be ready for use.
On May 14th I took Allan to the Stadium of Light to see our bricks in the 'Wall of Fame' and took the wonderful happy photo that you see on his home page, my last ever photo of him. Thank you so much Keefy for those bricks and that happy smile.
On May 19th, while sitting in the club playing bingo, we received the longed-for call from the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle telling us someone had donated a kidney that was a possible match for Allan. After a night of tests and waiting we were told it was compatible and the transplant was to go ahead within hours. Allan was excited at the prospect of a new life but at the same time terribly afraid of the operation. He asked the surgeon if he was going to die but was re-assured enough to sign the consent form himself. So at 6am on Thursday 20th May Allan received his new kidney in a 4-hour operation, while I excitedly informed family and friends and made plans for the future. Of course I was worried sick but I knew Allan was in excellent hands.
The operation was a success, Allan had a new kidney that began working immediately and after a period of recovery he'd be coming home to no diet, no dialysis and as much fun and laughter as he could handle.
Except that 3 days later whilst still in hospital he suffered a massive cardiac arrest.
Debbie, David and I held him and talked to him and begged him to come back to us and I do believe he tried his best, as always.
But he never woke up and after a 5-day battle to live he died in our arms on Thursday 27th May 2004.
We had to say goodbye to our beautiful boy.
He was transferred to James Cooke Hospital in Middlesbrough and began kidney dialysis the very next day. From then on he would be dialysed three times a week and after discharge from hospital 11 days later he was to be transported back and forth in a taxi for those gruelling 3-4 hour sessions, each round trip taking up to seven hours at a time. Each dialysis session left him tired and shaky and brought back the migraines with a vengeance. He had tubes sticking out of his chest for the dialysis and had to get used to a whole new regime of extremely strict diet and restricted life-style on top of the physical problems he already had. His only hope was for a kidney transplant, he was placed on the National Transplant Register and Debbie, David and I began rigorous medical tests to see if we could donate one of our kidneys.
There were some bad times that winter. One night his dialysis tubes came out in bed at home and he was rushed to hospital covered in blood, another time he was meant to have an operation to form a fistula in his arm to make dialysis easier but he was too scared to go through with it. He was brave and usually optimistic but his spirit had taken a battering.
By the December Allan was keen to get back to college, he was missing his friends and his social life, so I arranged with his tutors for him to go part-time on non-dialysis days. He was given a massive welcome, his mates had all made get-well cards and gifts and held a lovely presentation for him. He was also desperate to get back to his youth clubs, though his evening dialysis sessions interfered with that.
Our internet friends rallied round yet again with a collection and sent us hundreds of pounds of vouchers, we had a lovely shopping spree and bought items such as a mini hi-fi for Allan and a bath-spa for me. Others sent gifts and cards to help keep our spirits up and yet another organised named bricks in the 'Wall of Fame' at Sunderland AFC Stadium of Light. Allan was so happy and proud.
On his 20th birthday in March 2004 Allan had a party in our local McDonalds, he wasn't allowed to eat chips or his favourite cheeseburgers but he held the party to thank his college mates for their caring. It was a hilarious afternoon! Allan was trying to live as normal a life as possible and was still full of fun and laughter whenever he felt well enough.
Then that Easter Debbie and Steve came up for the weekend and we had a wonderful day at the seaside with David, Lynsey and Megan. I was over the moon to have all my family with me, but none of us could know it was to be our last precious time all together.
In April Allan finally had the operation to form the fistula in his arm, it was to take the place of the tubes in his chest but would take 6 to 8 weeks to be ready for use.
On May 14th I took Allan to the Stadium of Light to see our bricks in the 'Wall of Fame' and took the wonderful happy photo that you see on his home page, my last ever photo of him. Thank you so much Keefy for those bricks and that happy smile.
On May 19th, while sitting in the club playing bingo, we received the longed-for call from the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle telling us someone had donated a kidney that was a possible match for Allan. After a night of tests and waiting we were told it was compatible and the transplant was to go ahead within hours. Allan was excited at the prospect of a new life but at the same time terribly afraid of the operation. He asked the surgeon if he was going to die but was re-assured enough to sign the consent form himself. So at 6am on Thursday 20th May Allan received his new kidney in a 4-hour operation, while I excitedly informed family and friends and made plans for the future. Of course I was worried sick but I knew Allan was in excellent hands.
The operation was a success, Allan had a new kidney that began working immediately and after a period of recovery he'd be coming home to no diet, no dialysis and as much fun and laughter as he could handle.
Except that 3 days later whilst still in hospital he suffered a massive cardiac arrest.
Debbie, David and I held him and talked to him and begged him to come back to us and I do believe he tried his best, as always.
But he never woke up and after a 5-day battle to live he died in our arms on Thursday 27th May 2004.
We had to say goodbye to our beautiful boy.