News Our news Kidney patient raises hundreds in flagship charity hike A renal patient from Chesterfield has donned his walking boots with a group of his family, friends and pooches to raise hundreds of pounds for Sheffield Hospitals Charity. Steven Bassett, aged 54, was diagnosed with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a condition that causes small, fluid-filled sacs called cysts to develop in the kidneys, when he turned 50 years old. To help enhance his forthcoming care, Steven and his posse took part in the charity’s flagship Walk for Wards event, raising more than £1,100 for the Renal Unit at the city’s Northern General Hospital. ADPKD affects my everyday life... Steven said: “ADPKD affects my everyday life. It is frustrating as I’m not able to function normally and I’m constantly tired, which has impacted my physical fitness. I need more frequent visits to the toilet, which is detrimental when I’m at work, and disturbs my sleep. I also have a loss of appetite and leg cramps. “It was at a routine well man clinic when I first learned there might be a problem. I had a hernia and was found to have high blood pressure. A subsequent scan of my kidneys showed I had cysts. “Various medications are controlling my blood pressure and I’m taking a new drug called Tolvaptan that we hope will reduce the growth of the cysts. “At some point I will need a transplant. I’m so grateful to both of my brothers, who have had tests to be donors. We are waiting the results of their tests. “We took part in Walk for Wards as we wanted a chance to raise some cash for the Renal Unit. I will be spending more time there undergoing treatment, so we thought it would be a great way to get involved.”Click to donate to help improve the lives of people with kidney disease