Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease. It shortens life expectancy and reduces the quality of life. Even with insulin therapy, people with diabetes sometimes have difficulty controlling their blood sugars. Taking too much insulin, missing a meal, or over-exercising can make blood sugar go too low (hypoglycemia). Effects can range from feeling tired to seizures and unconsciousness. Over time, people with diabetes are also at greater risk for problems linked to the damage of small and large blood vessels. This includes damage to the kidneys leading to nephropathy – the foremost cause of kidney failure.

"Many people living with diabetes have kidney damage... The longer you have it, the more renal impairment there is. You cannot reverse kidney damage, so transplant becomes the only option.” says Andrea Norgate, RN who has worked as a staff nurse and transplant coordinator in every organ group since 2005. She held the position of Kidney/Pancreas and Islet Cell Transplant clinical coordinator and has numerous publications regarding pancreas transplantation. Andrea knows all too well about diabetes and transplants, not only as a registered nurse who has spent her career supporting patients like Adams, but also because her son has Type 1 diabetes as well. In fact, she donated her kidney as part of a living donor chain in his honour to show how important and safe living organ donation is. Read more