'My life would be massively affected by Oaklands estate', says kidney patient - This is Surreytoday Print

A KIDNEY patient says she faces having her life turned upside down if a controversial 161-home development goes ahead opposite her home.

Grandmother-of-two Miriam Hills takes 18 pills a day to try to keep her condition at bay.

  1. ?Miriam Hills says she faces severe disruption if the Oaklands development goes ahead

    Miriam Hills says she faces severe disruption if the Oaklands development goes ahead

  2. ?'My life would be massively affected by Oaklands estate', says kidney patient - This is Surreytoday

    Miriam Hills faces huge disruption

But Mrs Hills, 53, of Coulsdon Road in Caterham, has been getting worse, meaning that dialysis is now the only answer.

Fifty yards from her front door is the former Oaklands mental health care site – which faces partial demolition to make way for the proposed housing estate, if Tandridge District Council gives it the go-ahead.

This would mean major upheaval for Mrs Hills, a part-time book-keeper.

She said: "One of my kidneys is only functioning 15 per cent efficiently, meaning I am often sick, can't walk far because I get exhausted and suffer regular stomach disorders.

"I also suffer from diabetes, which makes my kidney condition worse."

Mrs Hills said she has been told by specialists at St Helier Hospital in Carshalton that she will need dialysis within months.

But when she informed them of the possibly imminent development across the road, Mrs Hills said she was told that home dialysis would be out of the question – because sterile, dust-free conditions are essential.

She told the Mirror: "I know a lot of local people are very much against the size of this planned development. But any development will affect me massively.

"I will have no alternative but to travel back and forth to St Helier three times per week for four to eight hours' dialysis.

"It will completely disrupt my life.

"Far too much housing is being packed into Caterham."

A spokeswoman from the National Kidney Federation confirmed Mrs Hills's fears. She said: "If there is any risk of dust flying around in the atmosphere, it would be totally unrealistic to proceed with dialysis treatment.

"Having to put a tube in your stomach for dialysis treatment requires a sterile environment, away from any threat of germs and contamination."

An infection can result in severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever.

St Helier Hospital said it could not comment on an individual case.

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