Desborough man slept in shed to protect his shielding wife during lockdown

A woman from Desborough with a rare kidney disease had to take extra measures to stay safe during lockdown.

Kathryn Croker, 34, from Desborough, had to shield throughout lockdown and her husband, Luke, moved out to protect her and even slept in their shed to avoid any infection risk.

Kathryn has Henoch-Schonlein purpura, also known as IgA vasculitis HSP, which makes blood vessels bleed under the skin. She was diagnosed when she was 12-years-old and received a kidney donation from her dad in 2013.

She said: "I have had to fight for my health for so long I’ll do anything to protect it, and unsurprisingly the pandemic has made me feel vulnerable.

"My husband Luke decided to move out in March and was fortunate to live with wonderful friends. He was so worried about picking up the infection and making me ill.

"He would pop over and we would talk through the window. After a couple of months, he isolated in our garden shed for two weeks by converting it! He came home properly in June and has been shielding with me."

Kathryn said before coronavirus, she was a sociable person who was always out doing things but the virus has made her scared to be around people, she said: "It's like Covid-19 has changed me."

She recently took her first cautious steps outside her own home and garden to raise money for Kidney Research UK.

Kathryn said: "Until the fundraising walk, I hadn’t been out properly since I left work on Friday, March 13, to shield due to anxiety about the virus, I didn’t even go in my garden for 10 weeks as I was too scared!

"Being told that you’re clinically extremely vulnerable despite feeling well is terrifying."

Kathryn was diagnosed when she was 12. Most children recover completely from Henoch-Schonlein purpura but unfortunately, Kathryn was a rare case and got worse.

She said: "Initially, I had a rash on my legs which looked a bit like insect bites, but it didn’t go away when I pressed it. The doctor sent me to our local hospital with suspected Henoch-Schonlein purpura. They prescribed antibiotics but nobody really knew what it was – we had to do a lot of research ourselves."

Kathryn was bed-bound for weeks with pains and she was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children when a blood test showed her kidneys were failing.

After recovering 40 per cent of her kidney function, Kathryn went back to school after missing a year. In 2012, Kathryn started to feel unwell again.

She said: "I had ignored warning signs, but I had gradually become ill, so didn't notice and was in denial of how bad it was."

In February 2013, Kathryn's kidney function was down to just four per cent and her parents, Anne and Kevin Abraham, were tested to be donors. Luckily both were matches and her dad underwent tests to make sure he could donate.

The transplant in May 2013 made a big difference for Kathryn. She said: "I am so much better. The kidney from my dad started working immediately.

"Sometimes I feel tired, but I live a much better life. I almost can’t remember how it feels to be well as I was so young when I became poorly, I certainly can’t remember what a normal level of tiredness is!"

To support Kidney Research UK, Kathryn and her family walked down the River Ise around Rushton, where she grew up. She said: "We‘ve always loved Kidney Research UK and supported them for over 15 years. It’s a charity close to our hearts."

They crossed seven bridges as a nod to Kidney Research UK's cancelled event The Bridges Walk. The fundraising events are hosted in London, Newcastle and Glasgow and walkers cross iconic bridges to raise money.

This year, supporters organised their own bridge walks.

Marc Shaw, head of community and events at the charity, said: “We are delighted that Kathryn and her family hosted this amazing event.

"We need to improve the lives of kidney patients like Kathryn, faster.

"We need breakthroughs in research, sooner for the three million people in the UK who have kidney disease.

"One million of them don’t even realise they have it.

"Events like this make such a big difference. Kathryn’s walk has been a great way to bring them all together with a common goal even whilst they were apart."

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