Cameron Green reveals he is suffering from irreversible chronic kidney disease
Perth, Dec 14: Australia all-rounder Cameron Green has revealed he was born with an irreversible chronic kidney disease, which at one stage put his life expectancy at 12 years.
The lanky all-rounder, who is a vital part of the Australia cricket team, said that the disease has no symptoms and is irreversible.
"My parents got told when I was born that I had chronic kidney disease, basically, there's no symptoms, it was just picked up through ultra sounds," Green told Channel 7.
"Chronic kidney disease is basically a progressive disease of your kidney's health function. Unfortunately, mine don't filter the blood as well as other kidneys."
The 24-year-old revealed that his kidney function is currently at about 60 per cent, which is stage two, with stage five needing transplant or dialysis.
"Fortunately, I'm stage two, but if you don't look after them enough, it easily goes back down. Kidneys can't get better. It's irreversible. So any way you can find to slow the progression, you basically try and do."
The condition was detected when Green's mother Tarcy had her 19-week pregnancy scan.
"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 12 years of age," said Green's father, Gary.
The fast-bowling all-rounder, who has featured in 24 Tests, 23 ODIs and eight T20Is since making his Australia debut in 2020, said the disease also affects his cricketing career as he is more susceptible to cramps.
"I have got to keep my salt and my protein quite low, which isn't ideal as a cricketer but around games I can pick that protein intake back up because I spend so much of it out on the ground.
"It's just about finding the best ways to look after me."
He recalled an incident during an ODI against New Zealand in Cairns last year, where he started cramping due to the disease while batting.
"There was definitely one time up in Cairns, playing Australia versus New Zealand, 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.
A shy person, Green said he had to eventually tell his teammates about the condition.
"I have told a few guys in the cricket world. The coaching staff are all over it.
"I think all the guys in the Aussie cricket team, I've told. After a few cramping episodes, I probably had to come off and tell them that it's probably more than not being professional enough because I knew in the background I was eating and drinking as much as I could to give myself the best chance," Green said.
Cameron Green has chronic kidney disease.
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 14, 2023
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
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
