Personal motivation will bring Killala's Colin to the Berlin Marathon

Newlywed Colin Scanlon from Killala, Co Mayo will take on the Berlin Marathon on 27th September with a very personal motivation behind every mile, to support his older brother Keith, who has returned to dialysis following the failure of his two kidney transplants.

Colin Scanlon (38), who married Sligo native Karen Waters on 31st July, is using his place in the Berlin Marathon, one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors, to raise funds for the Irish Kidney Association (IKA), an organisation that has been part of his family’s kidney journey for nearly two decades.

Colin, a father of one, is hoping supporters will get behind his fundraising challenge, with donations available at www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/keithscanlon

Colin’s brother Keith Scanlon has lived with kidney disease for more than 20 years. He was diagnosed in 2005 with Wegener’s granulomatosis, a rare autoimmune disorder that can cause damage to the kidneys and began dialysis treatment in 2006.

In 2008, he received his first kidney transplant from a deceased donor at Beaumont Hospital. Following further complications and treatment, however, he returned to dialysis in 2010. He remained on dialysis for eight years until 2018, when he received a kidney from a living donor through the paired kidney exchange scheme. Keith and his wife Clare, who donated a kidney, travelled to Coventry in the UK to take part in the exchange and remained there for two months while Keith recovered before returning to Ireland.

Following this, Keith enjoyed more than seven years with a functioning kidney during which time he secured a degree in Commerce. However, after a difficult period involving numerous medical complications and operations, the transplanted kidney ultimately had to be removed last September.

Keith is now back on dialysis in Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar three times a week, with each session lasting around four hours. His treatment involves a one-hour journey each way, adding considerably to the physical and practical demands of living with kidney failure.

For Colin, the impact of his brother’s illness is something he has experienced first-hand. More than a decade ago, Colin stayed at the Irish Kidney Association’s National Kidney Support Centre at Beaumont Hospital while being assessed as a potential living kidney donor for Keith. The Support Centre provides free accommodation and day facilities to kidney patients and their families nationwide travelling to Dublin hospitals for renal care.

Ultimately, Colin was not a suitable donor, but that experience gave Colin a personal connection with the IKA and a clearer understanding of the support it provides to kidney patients and their families.

“When Keith went back on dialysis, I wanted to do something to help,” says Colin. “I had seen the support the IKA gives to patients and their families when I was being assessed as a potential donor for Keith, so I knew the support they provide.

Colin’s marathon journey began with the Dublin Marathon in 2019. Since then, he has completed further Dublin Marathons as well as the Manchester Marathon. Berlin will be his sixth marathon and his first Abbott World Marathon Major. He secured his place through the marathon lottery and will travel to Germany in September to take on the famous 42.2km course.

He isn’t setting himself a specific finishing time. “I’ll just go out and do it,” says Colin. “The main thing is to complete it and raise as much funds as I can for the Irish Kidney Association and organ donor awareness.”

“When I got my place in the Berlin Marathon, I thought it would be a great opportunity to raise money for the IKA and help raise awareness of the work they do,” says Colin. “Being able to take on this challenge for a cause that means so much to me and my family makes the whole experience even more meaningful.”

Colin has already raised more than €1,300 and hopes to increase that total before race day.

His marathon training is also a family effort. Colin and his wife Karen Waters, who is from Sligo, married on 31st July at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Sligo. They are currently living with Colin’s parents, Phelim and Madeline, in Killala while saving towards building their own home nearby, along with their young daughter Isla who will be two years old in November.

“My wife Karen is my number one supporter throughout this marathon journey,” says Colin. “She’s very understanding, especially when I have to head out for a few hours to get my training in. And having Isla there, seeing her grow up and knowing I’m doing this as a dad, gives me an extra bit of motivation.”

“A big part of this whole journey has been proving to myself that I can still take on and complete a marathon while being a dad. It means a lot to me, and having my family behind me has made it all possible.”

Colin works for medical-device company Hollister Inc., in production, making products including ostomy and catheter-related devices. His brother Keith has also spent much of his working life in the medical-device sector, having worked with Vantive (formerly Baxter), since 2006.

Keith’s experience with kidney disease has had a lasting impact on Colin. The brothers are two of five siblings and grew up in the Killala area, with Colin 14 years younger than Keith.

Despite the challenges of living with kidney disease, Keith has continued to pursue his goals, securing a Commerce degree at NUIG and continue working while undergoing dialysis. He hopes his experience will show others living with kidney failure that dialysis does not have to stop them from achieving their ambitions.

For Keith, living with kidney failure involves much more than the time spent on dialysis. “It’s not just the dialysis. There’s the tiredness, the brain fog, the restrictions and everything that comes with it. It has a big impact on your life, but I try to stay positive and keep busy. There are still plenty of things you can do, and I think it’s important not to let dialysis stop you from living your life.”

Reflecting on his kidney journey, Keith says he will always be grateful for the people who made his transplants possible and the support he has received along the way. “I will always be thankful to the family of my deceased donor who gave me the gift of life with my first transplant, and to the living donor who made my second transplant possible through the paired exchange,” says Keith.

“I’m especially grateful to my wife Clare, who donated her kidney as part of that exchange and has been by my side throughout.”

Keith, who is Chairman of the Mayo branch of the Irish Kidney Association, a voluntary role, is also grateful for the care and support he has received throughout his illness.

“I’m very grateful for the care I’ve received from the medical and nursing teams in Castlebar and Beaumont, and for the support, understanding and flexibility my employer has shown me throughout my illness.

“I try to stay positive and keep busy. Having been through it myself, I want to do whatever I can to support other patients and families facing the same challenges.”

“I’m very proud of my brother Colin. He was willing to be tested as a living donor for me all those years ago and, although he wasn’t a suitable donor, he is now running the Berlin Marathon to raise money for the Irish Kidney Association. That means a huge amount to me.”

When Colin lines up in Berlin on 27th September, he will be running not only to complete his sixth marathon, but to support his brother and raise awareness of the realities of kidney disease, dialysis and organ donation.

To support Colin’s Berlin Marathon fundraising challenge for the Irish Kidney Association, visit: www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/keithscanlon