PART 1 — The Dreams I Started With
Growing up, I had big dreams.
Dreams so big I couldn’t imagine who I’d be if I didn’t reach them.
So I studied hard. I planned carefully.
I wanted to become someone I could look back on and say,
“Well done, Dr Hilda. You made it.”
But life had its own plans.
“For I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
While I was still in school, I had already pictured my life ahead, university, success, the future I had carefully imagined.
What I didn’t know was that life doesn’t always ask for permission before it redirects you.
One thing I’ve learned on this kidney journey is this: it can be silent.
No loud warnings. No obvious signs.
Sometimes the quiet things we ignore are the ones that change everything.
One day, my mum came to visit me.
She looked at me closely and asked,
“Hilda, are you okay?”
I laughed it off.
Mum, I’m fine. I just want to finish school, move forward, and make you proud.
But life was already whispering a different story.
I didn’t feel sick.
Nothing felt wrong.
The only thing that seemed off, I brushed aside as “normal.”
Until one weekend at home, when everything shifted.
A hospital visit.
Concerned looks.
Doctors asking questions that suddenly felt heavy.
I remember sitting quietly, waiting for my mum, watching unfamiliar preparations unfold, and realizing that this wasn’t just a routine check.
Today, when people hear my story, they’re often surprised that I’m living with kidney failure.
But my response is simple:
With God, all things are possible.
That moment marked the beginning of a journey I never imagined, one that reshaped my dreams, my strength, and my purpose.
And trust me…
what came next changed everything.
To be continued……
My name is Hilda Addo, and I’m your kidney disease advocate.
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