A man from West Yorkshire is selling hand-crafted wooden reindeer decorations to raise money in support of his wife’s battle against kidney disease this Christmas, having been told he is incompatible to donate a kidney.
Ian Smith, 59, from Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire, was determined to give a kidney to his wife, Ann-Marie (56), when hers failed in 2022. Unfortunately, tests found him to be incompatible, and for the past three years, Ann-Marie has been tied to an exhausting regime of dialysis to stay alive. She remains on the waiting list, alongside nearly 7,000 patients in the UK, hoping for a life-changing kidney transplant.
Bradford City supporter, Ian, who works for British Gas, says: “I was devastated when I found out I couldn’t donate a kidney to Ann-Marie. It has been very scary seeing her so unwell. Her condition has had a huge impact on our lives, she needs dialysis three times a day.
“When I was unable to be a kidney donor, I decided to donate my time to make a difference instead.”
Seeing artisans selling their wares on a visit to York Christmas market last year inspired Ian’s idea to hand-craft wooden reindeer.
He says: “I set about designing some in my shed and a couple of friends bought them – then I kept getting requests for more!” Ian explains. “They’re all made from tree branches with metal washers for eyes and a Christmas bauble for a nose. Each one has their own character because they’re all different shapes and sizes. Our innovation for the 2025 design is to add scarves knitted by my daughter Amy, keeping the reindeer warm. We’re also trialling some wooden snowman to accompany them.
“We’ve had lots of interest, and all the proceeds will be donated to Kidney Research UK. It means a lot to us to be able to support life-changing research that could make kidney transplants more readily available in the future. We also hope sharing our story will help to raise awareness of the importance of becoming an organ donor.”
Ann-Marie's kidney disease
In 2022, Ann-Marie's kidneys failed, after deteriorating over many years. This was caused by a form of hereditary polycystic kidney disease (PKD) which affected Ann-Marie's father and two uncles.
Ann-Marie says: “I discovered I was living with PKD in my early twenties after being tested because of my family history. I needed an annual check-up to track my kidney function. I had no symptoms and wouldn’t have realised anything was wrong until the check-up showed my kidneys had failed.
“I was very anxious about starting dialysis because of how much my dad struggled. Thankfully treatment has moved on in the past 30 years, meaning that I can dialyse at home. That has been important in adapting my life to continue working in my accounting job. My consultant and dialysis nurses have been lovely and supportive.
“Sadly, dialysis does still place a lot of restrictions on life. I’m a very sociable person but I can’t do as much now. I feel so tired and am exhausted by the time I finish work. I am part of a walking group but find it harder to trek long distances. We also love travelling together but it is very difficult to have a holiday now.
“I am fed up of waiting for a transplant. It’s been three years now. I have to be within two hours of St James’s University Hospital in Leeds at all times, and have a bag packed ready to go if I get the call. It’s really strange waiting for somebody to die before I can get my life back. It’s a sad situation. I hope research can make things like artificial kidneys a possibility, preventing the need for a long waiting lists.”
Kidney disease at Christmas
Dialysis will continue to impact Ann-Marie at Christmas until she receives the transplant she has been waiting for.
Ian says: “We love Christmas. We used to go to Christmas markets across Europe but can’t do that anymore. We don’t go to as many parties or shows with friends either. Ann-Marie struggles with crowds because she worries somebody might bump into her and knock out the tube she needs in her stomach for dialysis.
“We’ve done our best to make new traditions. Every Christmas Eve we go to the picture house to watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. We’re also bringing the Christmas markets home with the reindeer I am selling to fundraise for Kidney Research UK!”
Ann-Marie says: “Our two grown-up kids come home for Christmas. I cook for everyone but I’m not able to each as much as I used to. I’m not supposed to eat chocolate, salt or other rich foods, and have to think about my potassium levels.
“I try to get on with life without putting everything on hold until I have a transplant. We try to maintain a positive outlook and keep each other laughing. Being unwell does make you appreciate life and stop getting annoyed over little things.”
An uncertain future
It is not clear when Ann-Marie will finally get her transplant. She and Ian also have concerns about how their two children could be affected if they have inherited PKD.
Ann-Marie says: ”Our children have not yet been tested, but it is a worry that they could have PKD like me and their grandad. We’re hoping for the best and supporting research into the disease that will improve future treatment if they do ever need it. I hope I’ll be able to have my transplant soon, although the idea of surgery is scary. I can’t wait to go on holiday abroad again, and be able to do simple things. Like having a bath – which I can’t do because I can’t get my dialysis port wet. Or getting my nails done – I don’t normally wear nail varnish as it has to be removed for surgery, and I don’t want to hold anything up if I get the call.”
Ian says: "We can see how much research has made a difference since Ann-Marie's dad was on dialysis. I hope our fundraising will continue to help push treatments forward to make a difference for patients in the future.”
Give hope this Christmas
Please support kidney patients, like Ann-Marie, to get back to making happy memories by donating to our Christmas appeal.
