A Geelong kidney donor duo are set to embark on a 4000 kilometre-long journey in a bid to support a cause close to their hearts.
Highton’s Andy Smith and Newtown son-in-law Oden Hickey will line up against 41 other rally cars next Friday to raise money for children battling kidney disease.
In 2003 Andy gave his kidney to daughter Michelle, then 17, after she was diagnosed with the disease “out of the blue”.
“She went from completely healthy one day to sitting in the doctors room the next where we found out she would need a kidney transplant,” the 61-year-old said.
Andy said her daughter spent six months during year 12 on dialysis to stay healthy.
“She was juggling schooling along with dialysis that was required three days a week for around five hours at a time,” he said.
“It was really challenging time.”
Andy said he “did not think twice” about the kidney transplant as it would “immediately” allow Michelle to come off dialysis.
“You just do what you can do to help,” he said.
The kidney lasted seven years before it failed, prompting Michelle’s now-husband Oden to then donate his kidney to her in 2014.
Andy described the disease as a “silent killer” as people get it “without even knowing”.
“Very few people realise that more Australians die with kidney related disease than from a lot of the major cancers,” he said.
The duo has raised more than $50,000 for not-for-profit organisation Kidney Health Australia since their first Kidney Kar Rally in 2016.
For this year’s rally the pair will drive from Port Macquarie in NSW to Queensland’s Rockhampton in eight days from 9 to 17 August.
To donate visit www.kidneykarrally.org.au and search “millennium falcon”.
