A love that lasts: Streatham man funds kidney research in memory of wife of 60 years

The Sabita Dindayal Award will support a PhD project aimed at improving the lives of kidney patients, continuing Sabita’s lifelong commitment to helping others. Sabita’s widower Vidur Dindayal chose to work with Kidney Research UK after reflecting on the impact kidney disease had on his wife.

Vidur and Sabita’s love story began in 1953 at school in Georgetown, Guyana. The couple moved to London, where they spent more than six decades building a life together, Vidur qualifying as an architect and Sabita caring for her family. A popular figure in the local community, Sabita developed kidney disease in her later years, and died in 2019 at the age of 82.

Vidur says: “I was lucky to be married to Sabita and miss her a great deal. She had all the best qualities a person could have. She was incredibly caring and was always there for her family and people in the local community. She would look after anyone and touched many people’s lives.”

Life became more difficult for Sabita in later life, when she needed surgery for back pain. When she was diagnosed with kidney disease and told her kidney function had fallen below 13% in 2016, she had to consider her own care.

Vidur recalled: “It was extremely sad when we found out about Sabita’s kidney disease in 2016. We knew she was coming to the end of her life, but she was always determined to enjoy her time and look after others. She lived the last years of her life positively and continued to do what she enjoyed – meeting friends, looking after others and chatting with people in the street. She always kept smiling and was very determined.”

Through the Sabita Dindayal Award, Vidur will honour Sabita’s legacy by supporting research that will make a real difference in the lives of kidney patients. The award will fund early-career research with a clear focus on patient benefits.

Vidur said: “It’s important to me to leave a gift and keep Sabita’s name alive. I know she’d be delighted that she continues to help and inspire people. We should all strive to make other people’s lives better and happier – that’s why research into kidney disease is so vital. I hope Sabita’s research project will achieve that for kidney patients and their families. “I’ve always been proud of Sabita, and knowing that work will continue in her memory is the most important thing in my life.”

Lucy Sreeves, executive director at Kidney Research UK, commented: “We were truly touched when Vidur contacted us about setting up this award in Sabita’s name. Helping other kidney patients in this way seems like a beautiful tribute to their love story. This award will not only advance vital research but will also carry Sabita’s spirit of compassion forward, touching the lives of many more families affected by kidney disease.”