A university lecturer in the North East has survived skin cancer and two kidney transplants.
Kudz Munongi was first diagnosed with kidney disease in 2004, at the age of 22. He suffered temporary loss of vision; had extremely high blood pressure and his kidneys were full of water.
The 41-year-old, who is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at the University of Sunderland, was told he had stage 4 kidney failure and waited for nearly five years on dialysis to have a kidney transplant.
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Kudz, who lives in Sunderland, underwent surgery at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle and remained in hospital for four weeks while he recovered.
Kudz, who dreamed of becoming a teacher and working in education, went on to complete a BA and PGCE at the University of Sunderland.
However on February 14, 2018, Kudz was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer which had to be treated with chemotherapy.
Kudz’s kidney function also began to decline in December 2020 and he was put back on dialysis until he could undergo another transplant. He wasn’t added to the transplant register until September last year.
Kudz, who is originally from Zimbabwe, said: "It certainly felt like a huge setback but over the years I’ve developed a lot of resilience so even in the face of such terrible and surprising news, I still found I could still find the courage to face it.
"The regime of dialysis is very harsh, it’s every other day – that was the biggest challenge, but I preferred to go into the hospital rather than have the treatment for home – to be surrounded by people who are like-minded, nurses and patients, and I like to communicate so that really made a big difference."
In November 2022, Kudz was told that a donor had become available. He said: "I got the call at 3am and I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited. It seemed more of a surprise the second time around."
He was treated at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and now attends follow-up clinics at Sunderland Royal Hospital in Sunderland.
Kudz also works as a private maths tutor and contributes articles to Sticks & Stones, a bi-monthly magazine covering issues affecting the black community in the north-east. He said his passion for teaching helped him push through the difficult times.
He said: "The University of Sunderland helped me through – 200 per cent! I look at my work as my purpose and I love the work I do – that made a major difference.
"I recall when I had cancer and those awful 9 months – that is the only time I struggled with my mental health. Unfortunately, due to interaction of the medications I was on it was not possible to be put on depression medicines, therefore I had to do a lot of mindfulness.
"That is part of how I managed to build such a strong resilience and mindset, and I could still work full time. I like to keep myself busy."
Kudz is an ambassador for Kidney Research UK, actively supporting and raising funds for the charity. He is hoping to re-establish an active Kidney Association in Sunderland to help support younger patients in the city who are living with kidney problems.
He said: "I think Sunderland is well positioned to lead initiatives in raising awareness, not only on the donor register, but also kidney health as a preventative to other associated conditions.
"My desire is to highlight priority areas and how to tackle them in order to improve kidney health. In fact, by collaborating with Kidney Research UK and The National Kidney Federation in Newcastle, Durham and Middlesbrough, the message can be re-imagined so that our young students and people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups can relate and take positive action.
"This means increasing people’s understanding of risk factors, prevention, diagnosis and care."
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland, Sir David Bell, described Kudz as an "inspiration" to everyone who studies and works at the University of Sunderland.
He said: "His fortitude, resilience and optimism are all truly remarkable. Not only that, Kudz continues to be very highly regarded and rated by our students which is testament to his commitment to the University."
Kudzs won a student-nominated award for Most Inspirational Teacher at the University of Sunderland in 2021.
He added: "I am totally delighted and elated that students and colleagues could think of me as an inspiration. It is a big driver for me, to be part of a university that thrives in improving student outcomes."
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