Robin Eady, dermatologist and survivor extraordinaire, created a record for the longest number of years on dialysis, before he got a kidney transplant. When he passed away in August 2017 at the age of 76, he left a legacy of hope, motivation and determination for millions of renal failure patients, as the longest surviving kidney patient in the world. The Royal Society of Medicine in London dedicated an evening to celebrate his remarkable life.
Born in Egypt in 1940, Robin enjoyed a relatively privileged childhood and early youth, before being diagnosed with kidney failure at 23. He was given just a few months to live. Ground-breaking advances in medical science and access to treatment at the right time, together with his resolve to hang on to his health against all odds, made it possible for him to live a full life. That included the pursuit of an eminent professional career.
Ian Reekie, who started medical training with Robin Eady in 1959 at Guy’s Hospital in London, became his close friend. At the Royal Society event, Dr. Reekie recalled the onset of Robin’s disease in 1962 and admission to Hammersmith Hospital. Dialysis was not available then in the U.K. or the rest of Europe, and the future seemed hopeless. Robin’s parents had read about the ground-breaking procedure that Dr. Belding Scribner had started in Seattle, U.S., and got Robin accepted for treatment. Robin spent two years in the U.S. and Canada and finally returned to London to continue dialysis at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead under Dr. Stanley Shaldon.
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Joy Bennett, who started nursing with Ann (and who became Robin’s wife), worked on the renal unit at the Royal Free Hospital. She remembers the arrival of Robin who had just come from Canada: he was not only self-sufficient but knew a lot about dialysis. Robin made it clear he would continue with his medical studies.
After Ann and Robin married, Joy and her husband Adrian remained friends, especially after Robin’s transplant in 1987, when dietary restrictions he had endured for years were lifted! Up until his transplant, Robin was the person who had survived the longest on dialysis.
Alastair Heath could be called Robin’s kidney-twin, as they were jointly the beneficiaries of a young woman donor. When the transplant took place, Robin had been on dialysis for 25 years, 19 of which were at home. This was not Alastair’s experience, however, as he had not been on dialysis. The ‘twins’ met annually to remember their good fortune.
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As an eminent dermatologist, Robin is remembered for his innovative research into EB ( Epidermolysis bullosa ), that causes blisters. He passed his professional examinations during his time on dialysis. He was awarded an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Medicine, a fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences and an MBE for services to charity and medical science.
Appreciating his own good fortune, Robin travelled the world, talking to various organisations as a survivor of dialysis, and in addition to recording his own experiences, he never failed to inspire others about the possibility not just of recovery but of returning to work and enjoying all that life has to offer.
Delivering the Krishnan-Ang endowment lecture organised by the TANKER (Tamilnadu Kidney Research Foundation) in Chennai in February 2010, he said, “After 47 years of coping with renal replacement therapy, I can say good family back-up and being a bit selfish about one’s own needs does help.”
Robin died in London following heart surgery.
Dr. Georgi Abraham is a nephrologist based in Chennai