<P> After suffering kidney failure, she underwent dialysis and in September 2009 she received a kidney from her elder son Sean, after a two - year wait for a donor . She also had degenerative arthritis, which left her wheelchair - bound . By this time, she was dictating to Sean, who worked as her typist . Surgery was carried out at Leicester General Hospital and Townsend spoke to the BBC about her illness on an appeal for National Kidney Day . </P> <P> Townsend died at her home on 10 April 2014 following a stroke . Stephen Mangan, who portrayed Adrian Mole in the 2001 television adaptation, stated that he was "greatly upset to hear that Sue Townsend has died . One of the warmest, funniest and wisest people I ever met". Townsend was survived by her husband, four children and ten grandchildren . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Award </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1981 </Td> <Td> Thames Television Playwright Award for Womberang </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2003 </Td> <Td> Frink award </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2007 </Td> <Td> Two honorary doctorates, one from the University of Leicester and one from Loughborough University </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2007 </Td> <Td> James Joyce Award of the Literary and Historical Society of University College Dublin </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> Specsavers National Book Awards, Audiobook of the Year, The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year narrated by Caroline Quentin </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> honorary Doctorate of letters from De Montfort University, Leicester </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Award </Th> </Tr>

The woman who went to bed for a year wikipedia