Nurse to run New York marathon in memory of sister-in-law

A nurse is to run the New York Marathon in memory of her sister-in-law who died from a rare kidney disease.

Stephanie Coates, 51, a senior nurse Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, will pound the streets of the Big Apple on 6 November in memory of Donna Coates who battled Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) after being diagnosed in her 30s.

Mum-of-three Donna was a senior nurse working as an advanced clinical practitioner who also worked at the same trust as Stephanie. She had undergone liver and kidney transplants, but still suffered with underlying symptoms. She passed away aged 53 in 2019 after collapsing at her home in Northfield two years ago.

Stephanie, who works across Sandwell and City Hospitals, said: “Donna was the life and soul of the party, with the most infectious laugh – she was very strong, and you’d never have known what she was going through. She always had a positive mental attitude in the face of whatever she was going through. Her loss has left a huge hole in the lives of those who knew and loved her.”

Other members of Stephanie’s family also suffer from PKD, which affects around 70,000 people in the UK.  

Stephanie, from Bournville, has previously run the London Marathon and originally registered for NYC marathon in 2020, but COVID-19 restricted her from attending until this year. 

She is now training for the marathon regularly, and despite struggling with a knee injury is well prepared, running with several friends who provide support. 

Money raised will go to the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Charity.

Stephanie added: “I want to raise money for a cause that means a lot to me, and the PKD charity aims to discover therapies to improve the quality of life of those who suffer with PKD. I’ll be in New York for five days. I want to do some good, take home my medal, do some sightseeing, and most importantly raise a lot of money for such an important cause.” 

To learn more about the organisation and sponsor Stephanie’s efforts, visit her Go Fund Me page on https://gofund.me/a4509cd6.