A Cockermouth man who would have died without dialysis has been told by the Government he is not ill enough to receive benefits.
Adam Briggs, 39, had a kidney transplant four weeks ago because his kidneys started to fail thanks to side effects of a heart transplant he underwent when he was nine.
The self-employed sports therapist said he was told by doctors that he would have died within two weeks if he had not started dialysis as he was at end stage kidney failure.
His application for personal independence payments was rejected by the Government and he found out this week that his appeal against the decision had also failed.
Forced to work while undergoing dialysis several times a week, when he got the call for his second transplant, he was worried that he would not be able to make ends meet.
He said: “I’m supposed to be focusing on my health and my recovery and you find yourself stressing about money, how you’re going to pay the bills and kidney failure. It’s a joke that my application failed but I’m not alone – Kidney Care UK said only one in 20 people on dialysis get benefits.”
Adam, who appeared in documentary Life on the Fells, needs a minimum of three months’ recovery time – at the moment he is not allowed to pick anything up and can only walk for a mile a day. In six weeks, he will be able to walk a bit more and pick up a maximum of five kilos.
While he was in hospital for his kidney transplant, his friend Jez Starkey set up a gofundme page to help Adam with his living costs. It has so far raised £4,000.
Jez has set the target at £12,000 and so far, 114 people have donated.
And Xtreme Fitness at Lillyhall held a fundraiser for Adam last weekend.
Adam, who is a keen fell runner, said: “I rang him to say I was going to Newcastle for the transplant and mentioned that I was worried about paying my bills. It was only when I came out of hospital that I knew Jez had done it. It was completely unexpected and people have been so generous.
“It’s meant that I have been able to pay my rent for the next three months upfront, when I have to focus on my recovery and I’m not allowed to work, and it’s such a weight off my shoulders, I cannot thank everyone enough.”
To help Adam with his recovery, donate at https://gofund.me/730f9600
