Newton Mearns man to run Edinburgh marathon in support of his dad

Matthew Adams from Newton Mearns is running the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday, May 28, to raise money and awareness for the PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) charity.

The 20-year-old has been affected by the disease throughout his life, due to his dad, Stephen Adams, suffering from it and from previously losing a family member to it.

Matthew said: “When I was about one year old, my gran died from PKD and at the time, there wasn’t really anything they could do about it.

“They blamed it on different aspects, which turned out to be symptoms of the disease.

“Fast forward a few years, we moved house from Kilmarnock and as standard when you move to a new GP, they do an overall health check.

“This is when my dad found out that he had the same condition that my gran died from and since then it’s been going downhill.

Matthew and his dad (Image: Supplied)

“His kidney functionality is below ten per cent and he needs a transplant in order to get rid of the disease and that was sort of the motivation behind supporting the charity.”

PKD is where multiple benign cysts develop in the kidneys and other organs, and over time, the cysts' growth in the kidneys can lead to kidney failure.

Currently, Matthew is a university student studying finance and marketing, but with his dad’s condition being a worry, he said it’s been a “difficult” time for him and his family.

He said: “It’s been difficult.

“It’s not really something I’ve overly thought about constantly but from time to time you do think about it.

“There’s a lot of pressure and stress that it brings upon my mum and the rest of us.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen, how long he’s going to be in hospital for, and if all the operations will go as they need to go and whether they’ll turn out successful.

Matthew lost his gran to the disease (Image: Supplied)

“It’s quite a stressful time, to say the least.”

The PKD charity aims to provide support to patients, carers, and family members of those who are affected by the disease.

They also fund research into the condition and raise awareness of it.

Initially, Matthew said he wasn’t taking part in the long run to raise money.

“I just wanted to run it in support of my dad and show him that we are all there together and we will get through it together," he said.

The 20-year-old then decided that he also wanted to raise awareness and funds for the charity.

With the event set to take place on Sunday, Matthew said he hasn’t had long to prepare for it.

He said: “I gave myself 12 weeks to prepare – a lot less than what they recommend but I feel ready for it and I’m looking forward to doing it.

“I’ve definitely got the motivation there to get through it and push through it at a good strong time.”

To find out more or support Matthew, click HERE.