A FATHER of four from Andover has cut his hair to raise money for a charity close to his heart.

Fifty-one-year-old Darren Fidler had his haircut off to raise money for PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease Charity) after suffering from the disease since he was just 25-years-old.

The charity is the first and only UK charity solely dedicated to improving the lives of an estimated 70,000 people affected by PKD in the UK. It was founded in 2000 and is led by patients, clinicians, and family members who have experienced the disease first-hand.

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He said: “I lost my mum in 1999 from kidney failure and my sister also got kidney disease. She started dialysis in 2011 until 2018 and she was in dialysis three days a week for hours.

“She had a transplant in 2018 and she is still going on strong. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease when I was 25, 26 years ago now.

“It's all an ongoing thing and that is the reason why I shaved my head.”

Darren, who has lived in Andover since 2018 managed to raise £360 and could not think of a better charity to donate it to.

He got his haircut at Studio 73 in Andover on Tuesday (March 15).

He added: It feels great, and I am giving something back. It is especially nice as I have family members who have had the disease and I have got the disease.

“I also donated my hair to the Little Princess Trust charity.”

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Little Princess Trust provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer.

Darren said he grew his hair for three years to take on the challenge.

Polycystic Kidney Disease is a disorder that affects the kidneys and other organs.

It is known to be an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts can develop primarily within the kidneys, causing them to enlarge and lose function over a period of time.

For more information about the charity, visit: pkdcharity.org.uk.

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