Tenby Golf Club shines throughout the pandemic by raising over £ 8,500 to benefit Kidney Wales!
On Monday, December 6, Austin Davies returned to University Hospital of Wales to present Kidney Wales with a check for funds raised during his tenure as captain at Tenby Golf Club.
Consultant transplant surgeon and director of the charity, Mr Mike Stephens represented Kidney Wales at the presentation, the same surgeon who 12 years earlier had removed Austin’s kidney to donate to his wife, Janis .
Despite the hardships of the pandemic and restrictions making fundraising extremely difficult, Austin and the members of the Tenby Golf Club have come together to raise an incredible £ 8,513.03.
We extend our thanks and gratitude to all of the members, guests and the local community who have supported Austin during his year as captain and contributed to the magnificent amount raised for the kidney community here in Wales.
Austin’s story is inspiring. Kidney Wales is a cause close to his heart. Here he explains why fundraising on behalf of the charity is important.
“My wife Janis contracted the virus in 1980 while visiting her brother who was working in the Bahamas.
“At the time, our two children were aged 3 and 8 and the following years were difficult for Jan as his kidneys slowly and painfully stopped.
“Without the tremendous help and expertise of the NHS Kidney Units in Morriston and Cardiff UHW over the years, I doubt Jan is still with us and we feel a huge debt of gratitude to everyone involved.
‘While it is impossible to name all of the many NHS staff who have supported us, there is a constant throughout this long period and we would like to thank Jan’s regular consultant, Dr Andrew Williams ( now retired) in particular.
“In 2008 Jan started dialysis and a year later I was able to donate a kidney, which allowed Jan to lead a more normal life without the dialysis unit. The UHW transplant team were (are) fantastic.
“However, after eleven years, in 2020 the transplant failed and Jan is now on dialysis again – and is in the fantastic hands of the dedicated nurses at the Withybush Kidney Unit.
“The help and support we receive is excellent and when I became captain at Tenby Golf Club I had no hesitation in choosing a kidney charity as my ‘Captains Charity’ fundraiser.
“I especially wanted to support a Wales based charity and Kidney Wales fit this bill perfectly as the charity provides aid and support in many forms to kidney patients across the country of Wales.
“We are also particularly happy to support Kidney Wales as the surgeons involved in our transplant, Dr Asderakis and Dr Mike Stephens are trustees of the association.
“Due to Covid restrictions, fundraising has proven to be a challenge, but the members of Tenby Golf Club have supported me in any way they can.
“I hosted a Captain’s Day contest for members, as well as a Captain’s Day of Golf and Charity Auction which were supported by local businesses as well as members and which, with donations from individuals, have raised the sum to just over £ 8,500.
“Jan and I are extremely grateful to everyone who supported our fundraiser and thank them all from the bottom of our hearts”
“Kidney Wales does not receive any government funding, we rely on donations from our communities to continue our work in supporting families affected by kidney disease.
“Your generosity and your donations allow us to continue carrying out projects that change the life of our community. “
