A man from Blackpool is running 10K every day this month to raise money for the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) charity.
Ryley Gretton, 26, has taken on the ‘Spring into March’ fundraising challenge to honour the memory of his friend, Scott Catterall, who died in January this year at the age of 29.
Scott was not only a well-loved son, brother and fiancé but also a friend of Ryley’s for the best part of 10 years.
Scott battled with the condition from a young age and for Ryley, this fundraiser is an opportunity to raise awareness of the disease and raise money for the PKD charity.
Since starting the challenge, Ryley has been researching the condition which has given him a newfound respect for what his friend has been through.
Ryley said: “It made me appreciate him even more. I already thought the world of him, but that world just got even bigger when I found out the sheer strength of character he had.”
Whilst the fundraiser has been quite a learning curve, it has given Ryley the opportunity to come to terms with his grief and express how much he cares for Scott.
He added: “People will be donating in the memory of a truly one-of-a-kind individual that helped out and affected in such a positive manner so many people’s lives, and he is and always will be so loved.”
Polycystic Kidney Disease is a range of life-threatening inherited conditions that can cause kidney failure and affect other organs.
There are two types, Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD).
It is thought ADPKD affects one in every 1,000 to 2,500 people whilst ARPKD is usually diagnosed in babies and young children and occurs in approximately one in every 20,000 live births.
So far Ryley has raised £428 of his £1000 target.
You can donate to Ryley’s Just Giving page here or contact him via email at ryleygretton@gmail.com
To find out more about PKD you can go to the charity’s website: https://pkdcharity.org.uk