More than $10,000 has been donated to the Armidale Hospital renal unit following a massive achievement by local Nicki Scholes-Robertson.
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The mother-of-three went into renal failure at the end of 2013 and received the life-saving kidney transplant from her brother at the end of 2014.
This year she’s walked more than 500 kilometres, 600,000 steps and raised over $20,000 for renal failure research and patients.
The money was divided between the local renal unit and Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital transplant unit.
Armidale Hospital renal unit clinical nurse manager, Tina Straker said it will make a massive difference to local patients.
“Nicki has done an astounding job,” she said.
“Being a renal patient in the past she’s very aware of the burden of renal failure.”
Being a renal patient in the past she’s very aware of the burden of renal failure.
- Tina Straker
Ms Straker said the money will go towards increasing patient comfort.
“We’ll consult with the patients and Nicki’s support group to see what people want,” she said.
Mrs Scholes-Robertson has also formed a support group for pre-dialysis and transplant patients.
“I would be engaging with them and the patients here to see what they would like to put the money towards,” Ms Straker said.
Mrs Scholes-Robertson finished her walk in Sydney on Saturday, November 18.
“It was the three-year anniversary of my transplant and my dad and brother, Andrew, were there to meet us along with staff and others from RPA,” Mrs Scholes-Robertson told The Express last month.
Initially she intended to walk from Armidale to Sydney but fire dangers caused a change of plans.
Ms Scholes-Robertson spent many early mornings walking at the University of New England to make up the miles.
“For any kind of transplant, Newcastle or Sydney are the closest and the walk identifies the distance,” she said.