About Us

Who We Are

The Foundation

The LifeCycle Foundation was founded in 1999 on the Mediterranean island of Malta in order to create awareness and generate support for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. As a Foundation, LifeCycle has three main aims:

To raise awareness about Renal Disease.
To raise funds for the treatment of Renal patients.
To increase research into the causes and possible cures for Renal failure.

To acheive these goals the Foundation is responsible for a number of challenges and projects which you can find out more about in this page. We work closely with local patients and professionals to ensure our efforts are effective. We are as holistic as possible with our support, donating to practical life-saving equipment, software and research as well as taking steps to help improve a patients quality of life.

The LifeCycle Organisation is registered with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations. VO/0529

Our Activities

The Challenge

The Foundation organises one of the most gruelling endurance events in Europe, pitting a dedicated team of international cyclists against the elements in a long distance ride through different countries all over the world. This event covers an average of 2,000km in a mere 10 days and is held annually in the summer months. By putting such an extreme event together, LifeCycle intends to attract the attention to the plight of patients suffering from Renal failure and to encourage generous donations from major countries and the general public. In past years, LifeCycle has raised an estimated €2,000,000 to help improve the lives of kidney disease patients.

The LifeWalk Challenge was born as a homage to the first LifeCycle Challenge, which ended in Newcastle. Every year more than 20 participants walk the length of Hadrian’s wall in the United Kingdom, walking 135km in four days. Every year this challenge gets more popular, giving everyone an opportunity to challenge themselves, experience the British countryside, and support Renal Patients. Participants collect donations which are used to fund out efforts to help local renal patients.

LifeWalk

Why We Do This

Renal Failure is a debilitating condition that is not often discussed, but is unfortunately affecting more people world wide every year. Our kidneys are essential, keeping our blood clean and getting rid of dangerous waste products produced naturally by everyone. When the kidneys can no longer do this efficiently, people are forced to turn to dialysis to filter and clean their blood. This entails passing a patients blood through a dialysis machine which does the kidney’s work. Patients have to endure this for 12 hours a week over multiple sessions.

Being diagnosed with renal failure has a massive impact on a person’s quality of life, and makes everyday issues far more complicated. Even if a patient is lucky enough to find a viable kidney for transplant, it is unlikely to last the rest of their lives, and they will need to be on a strict diet and medication for the duration.

For this reason we are holistic in our support, because renal failure is a complex issue. It affects every part of a patients life, and so we organize initiatives to help in all aspects.

How We Help

Research

The research, titled ‘Genotype-Phenotype of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney disease in Malta’, focuses on the genetic diagnosis in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in Malta, and is being conducted by the University of Malta’s Anatomy and Cell Biology Department in collaboration with the Departments of Medicine and Pathology at Mater Dei Hospital. The project aims to contribute to the scientific genetic knowledge on ADPKD.

Traccia

Kidney transplants are a reality some renal patients will have to face, and many hope for. While not a complete solution, if the right donor is found for a patient a transplant can be a massive step. Matching a kidney to a patient is not a simple process and requires complex software and an extensive database to give patients the best change of a success transplant. The LifeCycle Foundation donates to this cause regularly to ensure the continued use of this system, that has played a massive role in helping many have a successful transplant and a shot at a better quality of life.

Other Projects

R.U.S.H Project

Rush is the next step in our saga of providing care to renal patients. Renal failure is a multifaceted disease requiring a multifaceted approach.Our first and top priority is to get patients the psychological support they need. Giving patients the tools to be able to handle their condition from a psychological aspect will result in a dramatic increase in their own quality of life and that of their family.