The holder of an unusual accolade has celebrated his achievement in Northwick Park Hospital with his family and the doctors who treated him.
Mahesh Mehta, from Stanmore, was awarded the Guinness World Record for the longest time on dialysis earlier this year and decided that, after a staggering 43 years and counting, it was time to celebrate the achievement.
Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly. It often involves diverting blood to a machine to be cleaned.
Normally, the kidneys filter the blood, removing harmful waste products and excess fluid and turning these into urine to be passed out of the body.
If kidneys are not functioning as they should, they may not be able to clean the blood properly. Waste products and fluid can then build up to dangerous levels in your body and, if left untreated, this can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms and eventually be fatal.
Mahesh was first put on dialysis when he was just 18 after he was diagnosed with reflux nephropathy, a condition where waste flows from the bladder towards the kidneys.
He first discovered he was the official record holder in December 2017 when he sent evidence of his medical records to the world record organisation.
While it may not be a target anyone is hoping to beat any time soon, Mahesh believes it is a record worth celebrating.
He said: “Obviously it wasn’t something I was aiming for. I would rather have had a successful transplant.
“People ask me why I want to celebrate it, but it’s given me 43 years of extra life which is worth celebrating.
“I also want to raise public awareness and get more publicity and hope more people sign up to the donor list.”
Mehesh celebrated the day with his family members and some of the doctors and nurses who have treated him throughout the 43 years he’s been receiving the treatment.
Picture courtesy of Sharmee Di Pinto
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