The woman whose illness led to the creation of LifeCycle, Carmen Curry, was 33 when she encountered problems with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).

Mrs Curry is now 50 and in good health but needed renal treatment first in hospital and then at home in 1996. The dedication of hospital staff prompted her husband Alan to take action and the charity LifeCycle, which raises funds for the renal unit, is this year celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Volunteer cyclists are in fact training hard for this year's fundraiser: A 2,200 kilometre challenge from Lourdes in France to Casablanca in Morocco. The HSBC LifeCycle challenge will this year also see 35 renal patients being taken on a pilgrimage to Lourdes.

In a recent interview, Mrs Curry explained that her problems began when she started getting spots on her nose because her red blood cells were fighting the white blood cells. At the time, she and Mr Curry lived in the UK.

She recalled that eventually her condition caused her to suffer from arthritis and she was so stiff that she could not even do the washing. To go upstairs, she had to be carried by Mr Curry.

Eventually, the couple came to settle in Malta, where they have lived for the past 13 years. One day, she found herself bloated - in her legs, arms and face - and was told that SLE had affected her kidneys.

So she had to make use of the services offered by St Luke's Hospital Renal Unit, which then lacked the many comforts the unit at Mater Dei enjoys today, thanks to LifeCycle.

Mrs Curry went to hospital for haemodialysis regularly for two and a half months before she was put on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) which is performed at home. However, she still visited the renal unit regularly for tests.

It was the dedication of the staff and nurses at the unit which gave her husband the idea to do something. Being a professional trainer, it was only natural that his contribution would involve sport and the first LifeCycle challenge was organised in 1999.

The aim of LifeCycle is to create awareness and generate support for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease, raising funds for equipment and increasing the quality of life of renal patients by giving them access to cutting-edge levels of care.

At the time LifeCycle was planned as a one-time event but its success encouraged Mr Curry to turn it into an annual experience. All funds raised are donated to the Ministry of Health.

Although when the first challenge was organised Mrs Curry was still on CAPD, she has since received a transplant and is leading a completely normal life. This does not mean that she is not occasionally gripped by fear and thoughts that she might have to eventually return to dialysis.

Since LifeCycle began, substantial donations have been made to the Renal Unit every year for the benefit of patients. More recently, LifeCycle also started promoting organ donation. In fact, this year's participants include Theresa Dolores Azzopardi whose late husband Antoine's organs were donated to seven different people.

After meeting one of her husband's recipients, a teenage girl, Mrs Azzopardi wanted to do more. So she is this year taking part in the challenge to support renal patients whose lives are a constant struggle. "I will also be celebrating the memory of my husband who gave life after death," she said.

SLE is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, nervous system and/or other organs of the body. The most common symptoms include skin rashes and arthritis, often accompanied by fatigue and fever.