MORE than $6,000 has been raised for Nicki Scholes-Robertson’s Rambling for Renal.
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Following a fundraiser at Rusden St Physiotherapy last Friday, the mother-of-three is just weeks away from her trek from Armidale to Sydney for renal failure awareness.
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Rusden St Physiotherapy CEO Deborah Hunter organised the fundraiser night which saw raffles, auctions and a jelly bean guessing game to raise funds for Nicki.
“Nicki and I both came to Armidale around the same time in 2005,” Ms Hunter said.
“We both worked at Armidale Hospital and then we both went out separate ways.
“I saw her after she had her transplant about two years ago and said ‘do you want to come and work here?’ and she did.”
Ms Scholes-Robertson said she has been overwhelmed with support from her colleagues, as well as backing from the community since her decision to take on the 510 kilometre hike.
“A lot of clients, doctors and some of the beautiful people who have donated heaps of stuff, like Retro Clean, have come along tonight,” she said.
“I do all these little fundraisers which are so much energy and effort so I just thought … let’s do a big one.”
Half of the money raised from the walk will go to Armidale’s Renal Unit and the other 50 per cent will be donated to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s Transplant Institute.
Ms Scholes-Robertson went into renal failure at the end of 2013 and at the end of 2014 received a kidney from her little brother.
“For any kind of transplant, Newcastle or Sydney are the closest and the walk identifies the distance,” she said.
“Then we have to spend three months post-transplant in a major centre.
“It’s just one of those things that people don’t know a lot about (and) I want people to realise what’s involved.”
The average waiting time to receive a transplant is three years.
And it’s not a cure – it’s the best treatment option available, Ms Scholes-Robertson said.
Follow Nicki’s journey by visiting Rambling for Renal on Facebook. Donate at www.gofundme.com/ramblingforrenal or drop by Newcastle Permanent in Armidale to make a deposit.