Doctors thought she might have a simple infection but Gemma Drake was days away from death.

The 31-year-old started to feel under the weather with what she thought was flu – but it was kidney failure.

Mrs Drake, from Kemsley, said: “It all kicked off last year when I was fit and healthy. I owned my own business in East Street, a furniture upcycling shop.

“I went to the doctors as I had blood in my urine and high blood pressure, and mentioned my brother had kidney stones and they did a blood test.

“At 2am the next morning I received a call telling me to go to A&E.”

She was rushed to Darent Valley Hospital by her mum Sonja Carter where she was found to only have a 10% kidney function. By the time she reached Kings College Hospital in London, this had gone down to 5%.

Mrs Drake, who fell ill in June, needed nine sessions of plasma transfusion and emergency haemodialysis alongside other medication. She spent a month in hospital.

She was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis and needed blood from 162 people.

She said: “It was all a bit of a whirlwind and a steep learning curve for me.

Sadly, she lost her businesses as the illness left her housebound. She has to undergo dialysis every night.

She now wants to encourage people to sign up to donate blood and join the organ donor register, as she is hoping to receive a kidney.

“The more people who sign up the better – it’s all about saving lives,” she added.

“I didn’t even know where my kidneys were before all this happened. I didn’t have a clue.”

“I don’t take anything for granted any more and appreciate the smallest of things.

“Before I became ill I didn’t want to celebrate my birthday because I thought I was getting old.

“Now every one I get to celebrate is a blessing. It has given me a much more positive outlook on life and just how precious it is.

“So for that, I am grateful to kidney failure.”