Darren Daniel from Carmarthenshire can still remember the first time he held a cigarette. He was 12 years old. At the time, it seemed harmless – just something people did. His parents smoked. His grandparents smoked. The smell of tobacco was familiar, woven into the background of his childhood.

“That first cigarette was more curiosity than anything else. I wanted to know what it was like, why the adults around me did it so often. I remember the way the smoke burned my throat, the way my head felt light and dizzy. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was something new, something that made me feel a little older, a little more in control. So I kept going.”

It started as an occasional cigarette here and there. But before he knew it, smoking had become a habit, then a routine, then a crutch. By his teens, it was ingrained into daily life. By his twenties, he couldn’t imagine life without it.

“For close to 25 years, smoking was a part of me. It was there in the good times and the bad, a companion through stress and boredom alike. I knew it wasn’t healthy – of course, I did. But I never thought much about quitting. It was always something I’d do ‘someday.’”

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

He thought about all the times he had told himself he’d quit someday. Someday had arrived. His diagnosis made him realise that every minute counts.

“When I was diagnosed with kidney disease, the reality of what smoking had done to me hit hard. The doctors couldn’t say for certain that cigarettes had caused my nephrotic syndrome, but they told me it could have been a contributing factor. The damage was done, and there was no way to turn back time. That was the moment I knew I had to stop.”

Breaking a 25-Year Addiction

Quitting smoking isn’t just about nicotine. It’s about habit, identity, routine. For Darren, smoking was woven into the fabric of daily life. The first cigarette of the morning. The one during a moment of stress. It wasn’t just about quitting cigarettes; it was about relearning how to live without them.

“Quitting wasn’t easy. After two and a half decades, smoking had become second nature. The cravings, the habits, the routines – they all had to be broken, one by one. But I did it. And now, eight years later, I’m smoke-free.”

Darren knew quitting was the right decision. He felt healthier, stronger, more in control. But what years of smoking had done to his body wasn’t erased overnight.

“I feel healthier in so many ways, but that doesn’t mean I escaped the consequences. At 44, I developed asthma – another lingering reminder of what cigarettes took from me. The damage to my lungs was done, and I’ll live with that for the rest of my life. But despite everything, I don’t regret quitting for a second.”

“What I would Tell My 12-Year-Old Self”

If Darren could go back and talk to that 12-year-old boy, cigarette in hand, he knows exactly what he would say.

“That one cigarette turns into two, then into years. That it’s not just a habit – it’s a thief, slowly taking away pieces of your health before you even realise they’re gone. And that quitting, no matter how hard it is, is worth it.”

Life After Smoking

But Darren’s story doesn’t end with quitting smoking.

Since his diagnosis, he has turned his experience into something much bigger – raising awareness for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and inspiring thousands to take control of their health.

Darren, also known as TikTok Kidney Warrior, has built an enormous following across social media, using his platform to educate and support those affected by CKD. With over 110,000 TikTok followers, 63,000 Facebook followers and more than 150 million views, his videos break down the symptoms, prevention, and daily realities of living with kidney disease.

As an advocate for Kidney Research UK and Kidney Wales, Darren works to improve understanding of CKD, helping people recognise the early warning signs and pushing for greater awareness of this often-overlooked condition.

For years, smoking was part of his identity.

Now, he’s something greater.

A fighter. A survivor. An advocate. An inspiration.

And a reminder that no matter how long you’ve smoked, no matter how hard it feels – quitting is always possible.