NIKKI Shurvinton has a spring in her step – and with good reason.
She opened the Nikki Jay Academy of Dance 20 years ago, in the same year father Graham donated a kidney to her.
Nikki was diagnosed with kidney failure when she graduated from stage school, and was given just a week to live. When medics discovered her dad was a donor match, they performed a live transplant.
Since then, the Leamington dance school has regularly supported transplant charities, with its ‘Kidney Kabaret’ raising more than £30,000.
Although Nikki – and her father – are still going strong, the affects of her illness are ever-present.
She said: “ A transplant is just another form of treatment, not a cure, so I’ve had to go to hospital every three months since the initial operation.
“We celebrate 20 years this year, and I’ve been very lucky. But my kidney is now very old and I’m aware it’s coming to the end of it’s life.”
Nikki opened the Academy when she was still on dialysis, and since then it’s gone from strength to strength, maintaining a 100 per cent exam pass rate.
Classes have expanded to include ballet, tap, street, gymanstic dance, and dance fitness classes.
The Academy’s biennial showcase takes place at Kingsley School on July 1 and 2. For tickets email [email protected] or call 07958 643005.
