A DETERMINED brother is looking to raise funds to further research into the kidney disease which has afflicted four members of his close family.

Dean Wicks, 32, will slog through 26 miles of the iconic London Marathon in the name of his father, Leslie, who suffered kidney failure in 1984.

He was on dialysis for seven years until the time came for more drastic measures.

After his condition deteriorated, he received a kidney transplant which lasted for 30 years.

The donation enabled him to lead a relatively active normal life, until he died after an unrelated cancer fight in 2009, aged 54.

“Two years after the transplant mum and dad had their first child,” said Dean. “He was able to start a family, to have a life, because of this transplant.”

Halstead Gazette:

Dean and his five brothers thought no more about kidney disease.

But this all changed when Dean’s younger brother Kyle, 29, fell ill in 2010.

“He was very run down, very tired and generally feeling unwell,” Dean said.

“He went to the doctors and had a blood test because they couldn’t really work out what it was.

“He then got a phone call within the hour telling him he needed to get down to the hospital right away.

“They were flabbergasted that he was still walking around when his blood was showing he was really very poorly.”

Kyle’s kidneys were failing and he was immediately treated with dialysis.

He was diagnosed with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, which causes the body’s immune system to attack the filters in the kidneys.

Dean and his other brothers were warned they needed to get checked out themselves to see if there is a genetic connection which increases the risk of developing the disease.

“When it became clear we all needed to be tested, I was very worried,” Dean said.

Although Dean’s results came back clear, two of his brothers weren’t so lucky.

In all, three of Leslie’s six sons have the same kidney disease and they have all dealt with the harsh possibility they could pass it on to their own children.

Kyle’s kidney disease has progressed further than his brothers’.

He works part time, unable to take up full-time work because of the demands of dialysis, which he undergoes three times a week at a kidney clinic.

He’s hoping to get on the transplant waiting list this year, but has the difficult job of managing his weight to be considered.

Dean works for roofing and cladding supplier AJW Distribution, which has adopted Kidney Research UK as its charity of the year, inspired by Dean’s family story.

“Kyle needs regular dialysis, but my other brothers who have the condition are able to try and control it as best they can,” he said.

Dean is already managing to complete 16-mile runs as he bids to complete the challenging marathon effort.

He is running in aid of Kidney Research UK.

“It is about raising funds for the charity, but it is also really about raising awareness of kidney disease and how it can effect anyone at any age,” he said.

He added: “I now dedicate a lot of time every year to raise money for charity.

“It helps me to remain focused on keeping the weight off, or down, and also helps me focus on making my dad proud.”

To support Dean’s marathon effort, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DeanWicks2.