Couple who met during dialysis call for better care
5 hours ago
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A couple who fell in love while undergoing dialysis at the same clinic have called on the government to do more to protect kidney patients from cardiovascular disease
Lee Farrington, 49, met his wife, Kacey Farrington, 45, when they were both patients at Cambridge Dialysis Centre in 2022 and they married in April
Kidney Research UK said people with kidney disease are six times more likely to experience a major heart attack or stroke
While undergoing dialysis for four hours three times a week, Lee had two heart attacks and the couple said the experience highlighted the need for more support for kidney patients
Lee, a former roofer, said Kacey helped him settle into his dialysis treatment and the pair quickly formed a close bond and chatted during every session
His first heart attack in 2023 required him to have a stent – a small tube used to improve blood flow to the heart – and his second heart attack, which he had at the end of 2025, was more serious
“I had heart palpitations and my chest felt tight. It was a shock because I’d never been told my kidney disease put me at risk of cardiovascular problems,” he said
“It was a scary time for all of us. My sister died from complications while she was on dialysis, so my health problems caused huge anxiety for my mum and dad
“I ended up needing a triple heart bypass,” he added
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Kacey said she realised “how much Lee meant” to her after his first heart attack
“Over the years, I’ve seen lots of patients become seriously unwell and pass away, but I’d never been so emotionally affected by it,” Kacey said
Lee proposed to Kacey during another stay at Addenbrooke’s Hospital – and the couple were married earlier this year
They said they were unsure what lies ahead in regards to their health, but urged the government to better support kidney patients
Kacey added: “Since everything Lee has gone through, I worry much more about my own heart health, especially after 30 years of illness
“Protecting our other organs would make a huge difference for kidney patients. It would put far less strain on our bodies and save lives.”
On 7 July, the government unveiled a new cardiovascular disease strategy
The government said the strategy recognised that heart disease and high blood pressure can contribute to kidney disease and pledged to expand targeted testing to identify people with undiagnosed chronic kidney disease
About 20,000 kidney patients die from heart problems such as a heart attack or stroke each year, Peterborough-based Kidney Research UK said
Sir Stephen Powis, a trustee of Kidney Research UK and former medical director of NHS England, said: “This strategy has the once-in-a-generation potential to save thousands of kidney patients’ lives
“But it is now crucial that GPs are properly reproved access to life-saving treatments.”
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