3 Peaks, 281 Handmade Kidneys, and One Life-Saving Message: 'One's Enough'

They say the National Three Peaks Challenge changes you. But as my team and I stood at the summits of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), we weren’t just carrying our backpacks, hiking poles, and snacks. We were carrying the weight of 280 real lives on our backs.

For our challenge supporting Give A Kidney, we packed 280 beautifully handmade wool and felt kidneys, lovingly crafted for us by the incredible Yarnmongers of Pontyclun. While there are thousands of people here in Wales living with chronic kidney disease, each one of our 280 handmade kidneys represented a specific, real person currently on the Welsh kidney transplant waiting list.

Everyone in our team had their own personal reasons for undertaking this challenge, but we were completely united by our joint mission: to hit the highest peaks in the UK and spread a simple, life-changing message: 'One's Enough'.

A Meeting of History and Hope: Kidney Number 1

Before we even took our first steps up a mountain, our campaign made history. While we had 280 kidneys to represent the Welsh waiting list, we actually started with 281.

In a moving moment, I had the absolute privilege of meeting with Kay Mason again to hand her "Woolly Kidney Number 1."

Nearly 20 years ago, Kay fought a determined battle against government policy to become the UK’s very first altruistic non-directed living kidney donor. Her selflessness changed the law under the Human Tissue Act, paving the way for hundreds of strangers to save lives.

For me, this meeting brought everything full circle. I founded 'One's Enough' after being deeply inspired by my son Dan. Dan's journey with kidney disease began back in 2020 after he beat meningitis. Meeting the trailblazer who proved that "one is enough" gave me and the entire team a surge of purpose that carried us through every single mile.

White-Outs and Living Proof: Conquering the Weather

Our mountain journey was anything but smooth sailing. Mother Nature threw everything she had at us, turning a physical test into a true battle of endurance:

• Ben Nevis: We were greeted by a massive amount of snow and a near white-out at the summit. Navigating through the freezing fog was intense and exhilarating, and it set the tone for the grit we would need later.

• Scafell Pike: We were incredibly inspired when Edward—a living kidney donor and trustee of Give A Kidney—joined us right at the bottom of England's highest peak to take on the entire climb with us.

As we neared the summit, the clouds dropped and a heavy downpour started, but Edward pushed right through the terrible conditions alongside us. His goal? To prove definitively that you can donate a kidney and still live a completely "normal," high-achieving life—including scaling the largest mountains in the country from base to peak in a storm. Having him walk the entire way with us was the ultimate living proof of our campaign message.

Sharing the Spares: Why Time Didn't Matter

The National Three Peaks is traditionally a strict 24-hour challenge. For us, it ended up being 24 hours... ish! 

And we wouldn’t change a thing.

We had a much more important job to do than watching the clock. Along the trails and at the stormy summits, we paused to share our "spare" handmade kidneys with fellow hikers. We stopped to chat, answer questions, and start vital conversations about living donation with complete strangers on the mountainside.

The reactions were incredible. People were deeply moved when they realised that the little piece of fabric in their hands represented a real person in Wales waiting for a new kidney. Stopping to share that message was worth every extra minute on the clock.

The Final Summit: Mountains as a Metaphor for Life

When we began our final climb up Yr Wyddfa, the air was cool and the skies were heavily clouded. But just as we reached the summit, the grey broke apart, giving way to bright, beautiful sunshine.

I’ve always felt that climbing mountains is a powerful metaphor for life itself. When you are in the thick of the storm, looking up at a steep, seemingly endless incline, it can feel completely overwhelming. You have to navigate the fog, push through the downpours, and trust your team when visibility drops.

But if you keep moving forward, one step at a time, the clouds do eventually clear to reveal the light. For patients navigating the harsh realities of kidney disease, the climb can feel painfully steep and obscured by dark clouds—but movements like 'One's Enough' are here to try and help clear the path toward the sunshine.

The Finish Line: Why the Challenge Continues

The most emotional part for me didn't happen on a stormy summit. It happened at the very end.

As we finally made it to the bottom of Yr Wyddfa, exhausted and weary, we were met by Dan. Seeing my son standing there at the finish line brought everything we had just endured into sharp focus.

Our boots have stopped walking, but our mission hasn't. While this physical trek is over, the real challenge continues every single day for our family, for the thousands of others in Wales living with chronic kidney disease, and for the approximate 280 people currently on the transplant list waiting for a new kidney.

A few weeks after completing the challenge, we met up with the Yarnmongers of Pontyclun for tea, cakes, and a chance to share the videos and photos from our journey. It was a wonderful opportunity to show them exactly what we did with the kidneys they had so generously made, and to celebrate the incredible team effort that made this campaign possible.

How You Can Help

You don't have to climb three mountains to make an impact. Here is how you can join the "One's Enough" movement today:

• Support Our Journey: If our trek inspired you, please consider donating to our page to fund the vital work of Give A Kidney CIO. You can support us directly on our JustGiving Fundraising Page.

• Think About It: Could you "share your spare"? Visit our campaign website at One's Enough or head to Give A Kidney to learn the facts about altruistic living donation.

• Share Our Mission: Living kidney donation is not for everyone, but if we all spread the message, we can reach people like Kay and Edward who may consider the possibility. Pass this blog along to help us shine a light on the thousands of people in Wales living with chronic kidney disease, and the approximate 280 people currently on the transplant list waiting for a new kidney.