Daryle’s journey to better kidney health
Daryle is a Ngarrinjdjeri man whose battle with chronic kidney failure drastically changed his life.
Daryle’s kidney complications required him to leave his job at the local council and move away from his beloved community in Raukkan to be closer to the city for essential, life-saving treatment.
Daryle was referred to Sonder by the Aboriginal Family Clinic for assistance in meeting the criteria to join the kidney transplant list. At Sonder, he met Nicola, a Care Coordinator, and Anthony, an Outreach Worker in the Closing the Gap Integrated Team Care (CTG ITC) program.
The CTG ITC program supports Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in managing chronic health conditions through personalised care coordination, self-management skill development, and practical assistance to access necessary services.
Setting health and wellbeing goals
To ensure Daryle would be placed on the kidney transplant list, Nicola and Anthony worked with him to establish new health goals, focusing on weight loss and better management of type 2 diabetes. Another concern was his constant fatigue, which impacted his ability to stay active and maintain a healthy diet.
Nutrition and exercise support
Nicola coordinated regular appointments with a dietitian and an exercise physiologist for Daryle at the same allied health clinic, ensuring continuity of care.
Initially, Daryle struggled to integrate the dietitian’s advice into his daily routine. Recognising this, Sonder arranged an 8-week course of healthy meal deliveries, jumpstarting his journey to better nutrition.
With Anthony’s support, Daryle attended regular dietetics appointments and monthly cooking classes. As a result of these efforts, Daryle’s type 2 diabetes significantly improved. Daryle now makes healthier food choices and controls portion sizes, keeping him on track to reach his weight goals for better kidney health.
Daryle also adopted an exercise plan developed by his exercise physiologist and participated in weekly exercise classes. His exercise tolerance improved dramatically, and he found the sessions so empowering that he continues to fund these sessions himself.
Addressing other health issues
To address Daryle’s persistent fatigue, his GP arranged a sleep study at the Respiratory and Sleep Clinic at Flinders Medical Centre, which revealed that he had severe sleep apnoea and required immediate treatment.
Nicola and Anthony supported Daryle with transport to his appointments and purchased a CPAP machine, reducing his apnoea episodes from 74 to 5.5 per hour. This significant improvement has reduced the risk of Daryle developing heart problems, and allowed him to enjoy better sleep, and have more energy.
Collaborative efforts for better kidney health
Daryle’s remarkable progress pleased the Renal Clinic team, leading to his placement on the active kidney transplant list.
The collaborative efforts of supportive healthcare professionals, Daryle’s dedicated carer (his sister), and the team at Sonder have resulted in one of the most challenging and rewarding transformations.
Nicola expressed,
Daryle’s commitment to improve his health and reach his goals has been awesome! His persistence is truly inspiring. It has been an honour to support him on his journey.
Daryle’s determination and the collective effort of everyone involved have brought him closer to a life-saving kidney transplant. Reflecting on his journey with the Closing the Gap ITC program, Daryle remarked,
I appreciate all the extra support and am more confident to manage my own health.
Daryle feels positive about his future and is ready for the next life chapter – a new kidney and a new lease on life.
Looking for support?
To get started, make an appointment with your regular GP or Aboriginal Health Worker, and ask them to complete an Aboriginal Health Check and/or a GP Management Plan and make a referral to Sonder for the Closing the Gap ITC program.
If you do not have a regular GP, contact us and we can support you to access the service. Call (08) 8209 0700 or email info@sonder.net.au to chat with our friendly team.
Closing the Gap Integrated Team Care is supported by funding from Adelaide PHN and Country SA PHN through the Australian Government’s Primary Health Network Program.