Kidney failure patient and her mum win award

A mother and daughter from Bradford who founded a support charity for those living with kidney failure after experiencing it themselves have received an award.

Three years ago Sofia Tsanou, 30, spent four months in hospital with kidney failure after complications from Type 1 diabetes.

Tsanou, along with her mother Michaela Smith, went on to start the Bradford Kidney Patients Association in 2024, after discovering there was no longer an active support group nearby.

It now has 130 members and was given the award by the National Kidney Federation for the best patients' association.

Along with supporting its members, including patients and their wider families, the charity also provides information, peer support and trips out for those receiving treatment.

Despite the charity's success, co-founder Tsanou is currently waiting for a kidney and pancreas transplant.

She currently undergoes dialysis three times a week, after having spent time in hospital with a collapsed lung, sepsis and pneumonia.

"My life is on hold while I wait for a transplant," she said.

"Dialysis becomes your routine and can be incredibly challenging, but starting the charity has given us a purpose. If we can make someone else's journey a little easier, then everything we've done has been worthwhile."

The idea for the charity came after Michaela and Sofia attended a National Kidney Federation meeting and realised Bradford was one of the few areas without an active kidney patient association after its previous group folded.

Smith said: "People living with kidney disease need more than medical treatment.

"They need someone to talk to, someone who understands and someone who can point them in the right direction. We wanted to rebuild that support network for Bradford."

Since fundraising for the charity, the duo have been able to run coach trips to the beach for patients and their families.

These trips, to Scarborough, Blackpool and Southport, are free for patients and £5 for family members.

They have also bought rechargeable fans for patients receiving dialysis during the warmer months and distributed Christmas gift bags to all 380 renal patients across Bradford and Skipton.

When funds allow, the charity also provides small gestures of appreciation for NHS staff who care for renal patients.

Tsanou said: "Our goal is to provide those little comforts that can make a difficult day feel brighter.

"Many patients spend four hours on dialysis, three times every week. The staff and patients become like family, so anything that improves that experience is incredibly valuable."

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