Walking in memory of my husband who lost his life to multiple organ failure
An inspirational woman from Reading, will join hundreds of people at Kidney Research UK’s London Bridges Walk this July, in memory of her husband, Gareth, who died in March this year.
Caroline Prodger, 49, will be walking alongside two of the couple’s best friends, propelled by the support of her family. The event begins at Vauxhall Park at 10am on 6 July and offers a 2-mile or 8.5-mile route for anyone to join, walking across London’s iconic bridges.
Caroline says: “We are still mired in the raw grief of being without Gareth. My son has lost his beloved dad at 13 years old, and I have lost my husband, co-parent, soulmate and best friend. He was super bright, funny and kind, and we’d been inseparable since we met at university almost 30 years ago. He is so dearly missed by his mum, brother, niece, nephews, in-laws, uncles, cousins and so many friends and colleagues.
“Gareth’s autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) was inherited from his own dad, Dave, who sadly died a few months before our wedding in 2005.
“Always one to make the best out of a difficult situation, Gareth would be glad we are joining the London Bridges Walk for Kidney Research UK in his memory. We hope to do something positive, by fundraising for research into kidney disease and raising awareness of its impact on people’s lives.”
Inherited kidney disease
After Gareth’s dad was diagnosed with ADPKD in his forties, his family lived with the knowledge that the condition could be inherited by Gareth and his brother. Unfortunately, this was the case for Gareth, and was confirmed by a scan shortly after he’d met Caroline.
Caroline says: “I can still remember Gareth’s call to let me know the bad news. He was anxious but remained hopeful that an early diagnosis meant his blood pressure could be controlled to slow his symptoms. We held on to the thought that advances in medicine could bring better therapies, or even a cure, in his lifetime.
“We saw Gareth’s dad, Dave, receive two short-lived transplants, which both sadly failed due to complications, and spend 15 years on dialysis before his death. It was only the brilliant care from Southmead Hospital, in Bristol, and Gareth’s mum, Christine, that had helped Dave survive so long.
“We knew Gareth’s kidneys were slowly deteriorating but we embraced life together. We were two peas in a pod and felt lucky to have found each other. We chose to start a family but sadly lost our daughter in 2010. Two years later we had a healthy boy. He felt like a miracle to us. Gareth was so proud of him and threw himself into fatherhood. We were blessed to have our family, home, careers we enjoyed and an active social life."
Kidney and heart failure
A medication called Tolvaptan helped slow the decline of Gareth’s kidneys, but eventually he entered kidney failure.
Caroline says: “His health took a sudden downturn in 2020, when he became increasingly breathless on our daily walks. He was unable to sleep laying down without frequently waking up struggling to breathe. We’d been told to stay at home during the Covid-19 pandemic to help the NHS, but a neighbour, who was a GP, encouraged us to go to A&E straight away.
“In addition to ADPKD, Gareth was diagnosed with severe heart failure, after he was found to have dilated cardiomyopathy – a disease which causes the heart muscle to stretch, becoming too weak to pump blood around the body effectively. Cardiac problems often go hand in hand with kidney disease, but doctors were unsure what had caused this to happen.
“Gareth was added to the heart transplant list on the proviso that he had a nephrectomy (kidney removal) after the heart transplant, and a living donor waiting in the wings to gift him a kidney for transplant shortly afterwards. The cardiology and renal teams felt this would give the best chance of delivering a good outcome and reduce the risks of transplant failure or infection.”
Transplant hopes
Gareth’s brother, Dafydd, fortunately free of ADPKD, came forward to donate a kidney and was found to be an almost perfect match.
Caroline says: “It seemed everything was in place, but we hadn’t reckoned on the long wait for a heart transplant. Gareth had to begin peritoneal dialysis at home, first manually and then on a machine overnight. During this time, he needed hernia surgery and suffered a transient ischaemic attack (mini stroke). That was terrifying.
“Through every setback, Gareth remained remarkably stoic and positive, focusing on what he could do to enjoy family life and try to stay as well as possible. Like many people living with chronic disease, we learnt to constantly adapt to new developments and health changes day-by-day, shaping our lives around treatments and appointments.
“In October 2023, Gareth developed peritonitis and there was no option but to move on to haemodialysis, which he underwent four times a week at Royal Berkshire Hospital, where the team worked hard to keep Gareth well for transplant. The complex factors involved in organ donation made the process a real rollercoaster.
“We had three calls as donor hearts became available, making the 2-hour drive at all hours of day or night, only to be turned away after an agonising wait as each donor organ was found not to be viable. The dashed hopes were hard, and it was a sobering experience knowing that a family somewhere was having the worst possible day of their lives, saying goodbye to their loved one. We were so grateful to those families prepared to consider organ donation in the worst of circumstances.
“We were so relieved when Gareth finally received a donor heart in June 2024. Under the brilliant care of the critical care and transplant teams, he made a steady recovery, coming home after four weeks in hospital.
“He worked hard on rehab, but it was an uphill struggle, as he still had to undergo dialysis. This affected his digestion, circulation and eyesight, leaving him exhausted and unable to build his strength. Plans for further surgery had to be delayed, as Gareth was not well enough to withstand major surgery. Our hopes that he would receive his brother’s kidney and live a dialysis-free life never materialised.”
Gareth’s passing
Gareth was on high levels of immunosuppression medication to protect his heart transplant from rejection, and, in December 2024, he became more unwell.
Caroline says: “It was suspected that Gareth had developed an infection, and he was admitted to hospital in early February 2025. It seemed unthinkable that he would not come home again. He remained positive, despite feeling increasingly unwell.
“However, the infection ran rampant against his suppressed immune system and at the beginning of March he needed emergency surgery for a perforated stomach. Despite every effort in critical care, Gareth succumbed to sepsis and multiple organ failure on 6 March, surrounded by close family.”
London Bridges Walk
Caroline is looking forward to joining the London Bridges Walk alongside her friends on Sunday 6 July.
Caroline says: “It seems fitting to put one foot in front of the other to walk the London Bridges Walk in Gareth’s memory. I like to think he will be there walking alongside us.
“I have been inundated with messages remembering Gareth’s amazing smile, his warmth and wit, and his immense bravery in the face of adversity. It will be a long road ahead before we feel a little more at peace, and it’s a case of taking one step at a time.
“Our family are eternally grateful for the chance of life given to us by Gareth’s heart donor. We hope his story will show what a beautiful gift of hope organ donation can be to families who are living with chronic and inheritable diseases. By supporting research, we hope the lives of people affected by kidney disease can be improved in the future.”
Donate to Caroline’s fundraising: Kidney Research UK: London Bridges Walk 2025
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