Kidney-transplant Cim off on Antarctic adventure6/3/2008
A WOMAN who had a kidney transplant four years ago is embarking on an Antarctic adventure to raise funds for a charity close to her heart.
Cim Bartlett, 46, from Woking, was on dialysis after she developed kidney failure in 2004.
But after her brother, Jonas Skyttmo, donated one of his kidneys for her transplant, she was given what she describes as a “new life”. She and her husband Jerry are now gearing up for an ambitious expedition.
They will be leaving tomorrow for a month-long trip to the freezing depths of the Antarctic, with a short trip to Buenos Aires, too.
Together they will spend a week in the Antarctic and take part in canoeing, ice climbing and wildlife watching.
They are hoping to raise about £20,000 for the charity Transplants in Mind, which helps to save lives by promoting awareness of organ and tissue donation for transplants. About 400 people in the UK die every year waiting for a transplant.
Cim said: “Four years ago, it was an expedition for me just to walk upstairs and when I found out I needed a kidney transplant it felt like my world was ending. Then I found out my blood group meant I was in for a long wait for a suitable kidney.
“It felt like I was going to be one of those statistics, until my brother said he was willing to help me. Like so many people in the UK, I was on dialysis, waiting for that transplant, waiting for my new life to begin. Now it feels like I have a second chance.
“Going on an expedition to somewhere as remote as Antarctica proves how well I am. I want to show others what you can do after a transplant.
“I was lucky to get a live donor and it meant I didn’t have to wait very long on dialysis. Now I have a second chance and a new appetite for life I want to inspire others to be like my brother and help their loved ones. I believe I am the first kidney transplant patient from Surrey to go to Antarctica.”
Cim is looking for sponsors, private and corporate, to assist her in her challenge and to help raise awareness of Transplants in Mind.
She and Jerry will be paying for the trip themselves and have already attracted the interest of network camera company Axis Communications who will be providing the latest streaming camera technology to show pictures and video live from the trip and post them on Cim’s blog site.
Cim added: “I am from Sweden and I feel most at home with winter and snow. When I go home, I can drive to the Arctic but by going to Antarctica I can say that kidney failure is not the end of the world.I am going there to prove it. I am really excited about it and so looking forward to the trip.”
But raising awareness of transplants will not stop after Cim arrives back on English soil. In July she will continue to tell her story during Transplant Week.
Any companies or individuals who would like to sponsor Cim for her expedition can log on to
www.antarcticodyssey.wordpress.com for more information or call 07833 363500.
http://www.woking.co.uk/news/2023/2023293/kidneytransplant_cim_off_on_antarctic_adventure
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