A South Wales mother began a gruelling trek up Ben Nevis at 5.30am this morning (Friday, May 22), carrying 281 hand-knitted kidneys to raise awareness of the Welsh transplant waiting list.
Carolyn Thomas, from Efail Isaf, is leading the “One’s Enough” Three Peaks Challenge alongside friends and family.
The team will carry 281 wool and felt kidneys, lovingly crafted by the Pontyclun Yarnmongers to the summits of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). Each piece represents a real person currently waiting for a kidney transplant in Wales.
The campaign has already made history before even reaching the first peak. “Woolly Kidney Number 1” was officially handed over last weekend to Kay Mason, who made history nearly 20 years ago as the UK’s very first altruistic living kidney donor.
The challenge is inspired by Carolyn’s 25-year-old son, Dan, who was left with chronic kidney disease after contracting meningitis in 2020. Dan’s kidney function is currently just 18%. While he does not require a transplant yet, his function is critically low, and he will need one in the future to avoid long-term dialysis.
Carolyn Thomas, Campaign Founder, says:
“As a mum, watching your son live with critically low kidney function is incredibly tough. We know Dan will face a transplant in the future. Because I can’t donate myself due to my medical history, I wanted to do something to help him and the 281 other people in Wales waiting for a kidney.
“Meeting Kay Mason last weekend was incredibly emotional—she proved 20 years ago that ‘One’s Enough’. We are taking these wool kidneys up the mountains to start a chain reaction of conversations. Talking to your family about organ donation today could save a life tomorrow.”
