Young dialysis patient perfects origami

Wednesday, 14 November 2018 16:00

A young outpatient at Bradford Teaching Hospitals has used the time he’s spent receiving treatment to become an expert in the Japanese art of origami.

Aaqif Khan, 23, now sells some of the stunning paper creations he makes while receiving kidney dialysis three times a week at St Luke’s Hospital’s Renal Dialysis Unit.

The former Shipley College student has spent a significant amount of time in hospital throughout his young life while battling the rare congenital nephrotic syndrome, which often leads to acute kidney failure.

But he has found comfort, a hobby and now a fledgling business in the ancient art of paper folding.

He said: “I had my first kidney transplant aged four in Leeds, which failed, and then a second aged eight, from my Dad, which was successful.

“It lasted for 15 years but then started to fail in March this year. I came back into hospital to have an AV graft fitted and have been having dialysis again since April. This summer, I also went back on the kidney transplant register.”

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