Australia all-rounder Cameron Green has revealed suffering a chronic kidney disease since birth. Speaking with Channel 7, the all-rounder said he has been managing the disease so far in his professional career; something that was diagnosed when he was a newborn.
“My parents got told when I was born that I had chronic kidney disease. Basically, there were no symptoms, just got picked up through ultrasounds,” Green told Channel 7.
“Chronic kidney disease is a progressive disease of your kidney’s health function. Unfortunately, mine doesn’t filter the blood as well as other kidneys. So they’re about at 60% now which is stage 2. With chronic kidney disease there are five stages, with stage one being the least severe, and stage five being transplant or dialysis,” he added.
The all-rounder further stated that he has stage two of the disease which gets severe upon reaching stage five which requires a transplant.
“With chronic kidney disease, there are five stages, with stage one being the least severe, and stage five being transplant or dialysis. Fortunately, I’m stage two, but if you don’t look after them enough, it goes back down.
“Kidneys can’t get better. It’s irreversible. So anything you can do to slow the progression, you basically try and do,” he said.
Cameron Green has chronic kidney disease.There are five stages to it, with the fifth stage requiring a transplant or dialysis.
This is how Green – currently at stage two – manages the condition every day… pic.twitter.com/ikbIntapdy
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 14, 2023
Green’s disease was detected when her mother Bee Tracey had her 19-week pregnancy scan. His father Gary said there were initial threats as he may not survive beyond 12 years of age.
“I was at my 19-week scan and they picked up that he had thickening of his bladder, they said it was a urethral valve blockage where the urine basically backflows to the kidneys and they wouldn’t develop properly, so it was quite a shock,” Tracey said.
“At the time it was unchartered territory as such, the prognosis wasn’t great. There were life expectancy issues that he might not expect to live past twelve years of age,” Gary Green said.
In a conversation with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Thursday, Green recalled a concerning episode last year. He experienced severe cramps in an ODI against New Zealand in which he scored 89 not out in a successful run chase after bowling five overs and fielding for a full 50 overs.
“I think it was pretty well documented that I had a pretty long day of bowling and a pretty long bat as well, and then had a cramping episode. It took me a long time to realise that it was probably my kidney function that was affecting my cramping,” Green said.
“If I can help one person or bring awareness to it, it’s worthwhile.”Cam Green chats with @mel_mclaughlin and Ricky Ponting after revealing he has chronic kidney disease. pic.twitter.com/54xMMSmldB
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 14, 2023
“I always thought I didn’t drink enough, didn’t eat enough, didn’t look after myself during the game as well as I could have, but I think over time I realised that I was doing absolutely everything right, but I was still cramping, unfortunately,” he added.
