Yukie Yamaguchi

Why it matters to me

This October, I’m taking on the Red Socks Run—because for many people, life depends on it.

By running, walking, or riding 60km, I want to raise awareness of the 60 hours people with kidney disease spend on dialysis every single month.

Some of my friends might wonder why this matters so much to me—it's because I used to live with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

I was diagnosed with CKD at just 9 years old, and a later kidney biopsy confirmed it was IgA nephropathy. From that moment, my life changed completely. I had to take daily medication, visit the hospital regularly, and the hardest part—I was told I couldn’t play any sports seriously. While I could still join P.E. at school, I wasn’t allowed to compete or push myself physically. I was too young to fully understand what was happening inside my body, but I knew enough to feel devastated.

CKD is a strange disease—it starts quietly, progresses silently, and often goes unnoticed until it’s advanced. It’s not the kind of illness where you're given just months to live, but it slowly erodes your body. Many people eventually need dialysis. And perhaps most frustratingly, there is no known cure. Once diagnosed, all you can do is try to stop it from getting worse.

So, why do I look healthy now? Why can I play frisbee?

Honestly, it feels like a miracle. While there is no definitive treatment for CKD, some therapies show promise—and I was lucky enough to respond well to one of them. At 16, I had surgery, and gradually returned to a healthier life. I encountered frisbee at 19, but I was scared of playing at first because I knew intense physical activity could strain the kidneys. So even now, I get nervous before my annual urine test. Thankfully, everything has remained stable since the surgery.

Of course, I wish I had never been diagnosed with CKD. But the experience taught me something important, which many people have already mentioned: our lifetime is limited. As long as I have a healthy body and mind, there’s no reason to hesitate—I want to take on challenges and live fully.

People often ask me why I’m so motivated—whether it’s for frisbee, study, or other things. I think it’s because I know my life could have turned out very differently. I could have been living a life where I needed to go to the hospital every few days for dialysis, unable to make choices based on what I want to do. Knowing that possibility makes me deeply grateful for the freedom I have now—and drives me to make the most of it.

For a long time, I kept my illness to myself. I was afraid people would treat me differently. But now, I’m proud to share my story—because I know my friends will support me, not pity me.

The reason I’m doing this for Kidney Health Australia, rather than a counterpart in Japan—my home country—is simple: as far as I know, there’s no organisation like KHA in Japan. And since I’m currently living in Australia, that’s reason enough for me.

Please consider donating to my page to support vital research into life-saving treatments, and to help people and families affected by kidney failure.