Kelly Ashcroft, from Anfield, has spoken of her heartbreak after losing three babies due to a lifelong kidney disease. The 32-year-old has lived with two types of kidney disease since childhood and received a transplant in June 2024.
Battling kidney disease since age two
Kelly has suffered with kidney problems since she was two years old, following a serious E. coli infection. She has lived with haemolytic uraemic syndrome and IgA nephropathy ever since. Her kidneys were monitored by Alder Hey Children's Hospital but steadily declined throughout her childhood.
In 2015, when she was 21, Kelly became pregnant with twins while her kidneys were functioning at just 35 per cent. She was told that carrying two children could put too much pressure on her body, and at 12 weeks she was given the option to end one pregnancy to continue with the other. She refused, saying: "I burst into tears, I couldn't give up on my children. Miracles can happen where children survive against the odds, but sadly that didn't happen for us."
Loss and a healthy son
At 19 weeks, her blood pressure became dangerously high and she was told one of her babies had died. A week later, she learned her other child had also died. She received bereavement support from the women's hospital in Liverpool, and the family held a funeral for the twins.
Two years later, supported by the NHS kidney team, Kelly gave birth to a healthy boy named Alfie. She said: "I couldn't live without trying again to have a baby. It was scary, but I had to try. I worked closely with my doctor to manage my pregnancy, and they kept a close eye on me. Thankfully, I became a mother to a healthy, happy, little boy."
She became pregnant again later that year, but was forced to make the devastating decision to end the pregnancy because of her continuing kidney deterioration and the risk to herself and her baby. She said: "I felt I had no choice but to have a medical termination. That was heartbreaking. I felt a lot of guilt, but I had to make sure I didn't put my life at risk when I had Alfie to think about too."
Transplant and the Liverpool Bridges Walk
Kelly was placed on the transplant waiting list in 2021. By the time she received a kidney transplant in June 2024, her kidneys were functioning at just 9 per cent. The procedure has transformed her energy levels and quality of life.
She is now preparing to walk alongside her dad Colin and hundreds of supporters at the Kidney Research UK Liverpool Bridges Walk on Sunday, September 6. The walk starts at Piers Head and crosses dockside bridges, passing landmarks including the Royal Albert Dock, the Liver Building and the Maritime Museum. Participants can choose from a 2.2 mile or a 6.1 mile course.
Kelly said: "It's important to me to raise awareness of the difficulties kidney patients can face when having children. Living with kidney disease shouldn't steal somebody's opportunity to become a parent or enjoy their lives. I have benefited from treatments, including transplantation, that would not exist without research. I had my transplant just in time, and it's not an exaggeration to say that without past research, I wouldn't be here today."
More than 7,200 people in the UK are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, and six people die every week while waiting, latest NHS figures show. In Liverpool, 220 people are waiting for a transplant right now. Analysis from Kidney Research UK shows that approximately 42,500 people in Liverpool are living with kidney disease, and many may not even know they have it.
Georgia Kelly, head of community and events at Kidney Research UK, said: "We're so grateful to Kelly for speaking so openly about her experiences to help shine light on kidney disease, which touches millions of lives and can be utterly devastating. That's why our Liverpool Bridges Walk is so important. It brings people affected by kidney disease together with friends, families and supporters to share their stories, raise awareness and help fund the vital research that will one day end kidney disease."
Registration for the Liverpool Bridges Walk is available on the Kidney Research UK website.
