Volunteering in memory of my dad
After a 23-year struggle with kidney disease, Eleanor Senior’s dad, Bill, died in November 2023 at the age of 80. This heartbreaking loss spurred Eleanor, a 29-year-old microbiologist from Chester, to become a volunteer with Kidney Research UK, and support the charity’s vision of putting an end to kidney disease.
Eleanor says: “My dad was in kidney failure for a long time, since I was six years old. He was treated by diet and medication for 19 years, but in 2019 he needed to go on to dialysis. That was a rough experience.
“After he died, I decided I wanted to help other people with kidney disease. That’s the sort of thing he’d have done, and he’d have wanted me to get involved. It has been a difficult time, but I’m trying to keep going and stay motivated. I want to use my experiences to do something productive.”
Treatments need to improve
Bill discovered his kidneys had become damaged in 2000 after being diagnosed with sarcoidosis – an autoimmune condition.
Eleanor says: “He was feeling quite breathless and went to the doctor. It was a shock because my dad was a very physically fit, healthy person. He went straight from being healthy to facing kidney failure.
“He was a stay-at-home dad, so we spent a lot of time together when I was growing up. He took me to school and was there throughout my summer holidays which was nice. He was interested in everything, from keeping fit, to spending time gardening and with his dog. He enjoyed photography and won awards for his work. His interest in science was part of the reason I got into microbiology.
“When he got ill, I don’t think we were prepared for quite how brutal dialysis can be. He always felt sick after his haemodialysis sessions which was hard to see. He’d feel rough the day after dialysis, then okay, and then the next day he’d be back to dialysis again. Only feeling okay one day out of three wasn’t a great quality of life.
“There wasn’t an alternative though. He was on the transplant waiting list for a while. He got called a few times, but the operation never happened for various reasons. That was stressful.
“Now as a volunteer, I’ve been able to have input into research projects such as those that aim to increase the number of kidneys which are suitable for transplant. Hopefully research will improve the treatment that is available and make a huge difference to people’s lives.”
Being a research network volunteer
There are many different volunteer positions available at Kidney Research UK, and Eleanor chose to become a research network volunteer. In this role, our volunteers review new research applications as part of the process to help choose which projects we can fund.
Eleanor says: “I’ve enjoyed finding out more about the research and what key problems are being solved. I read the lay summaries and evaluate those, which I find quite interesting. It’s nice to see the research that is happening into kidney disease, because I didn’t know a lot about it before I started this role.
“My background is in microbiology, but anybody can become a research network volunteer. Part of the role is making sure the project summaries are understandable for somebody without a scientific background. We also ensure that people with lived experience of kidney disease are included in the development of the research, to make sure they are working towards what patients actually want and will benefit from.
“It’s really flexible and you can do it at home in your own time so it’s easy to fit around work and life. Each project report takes me about an hour to review, and you just get a few to start with. If you have more free time you can ask for more, but if you don’t, that’s okay too.”
What’s next?
Eleanor hopes to become even more involved with volunteering at Kidney Research UK, utilising her role as a microbiologist at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Eleanor says: “I’m looking to become a community ambassador, working with the renal unit at the hospital. I already go in every so often to drop off resources and would like to speak more with the patients there.
“I’d like to get more involved with events too and supporting things like the Chester marathon. I could even be a photographer because I have my dad’s old professional camera to use.”
Eleanor also continues to raise money for Kidney Research UK in memory of her dad, Bill, via a tribute page.
Interested in volunteering with us?
You too can join hundreds of volunteers who are changing the lives of kidney patients, while meeting new people, and developing skills and confidence. Take a look at our volunteer roles.
