My transplant journey began when I tried to help somebody else, by donating blood for the first time. The clinic staff noticed my haemoglobin was lower than expected so I was unable to donate and instead advised to go to my GP. My doctor found high blood pressure and ordered blood tests. After returning home from work the following day I spotted 12 missed calls from my GP surgery. After a call with the out of hours GP service I was asked to go to see my doctor as soon as possible.

The following day I went to my GP surgery. A urine dip test to monitor protein was carried out and I was immediately referred to the emergency ward at the local hospital where I spent the next three days.

“Bizarrely, offering to donate blood ended up saving my own life,”

I was transferred to the care of the renal team at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, and clinicians discovered I was in stage four of chronic kidney disease with just 19% kidney function remaining. I felt fine, maybe a bit tired, but nothing untoward. You just don’t know your kidneys are failing.

I went through all the stages of grief and loss in a week then pulled myself together and focused on where I was and needed to look forward.

A biopsy revealed a diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy, where an antibody called immunoglobulin builds up in the kidneys, causing inflammation that damages the kidney tissue.

After being stable for a year, i then required intervention - so I then began twilight dialysis from 6pm to midnight three times a week and weekends were spent in bed recovering !

On Sunday 11 August 2013 the call came for my life-saving transplant at the Institute of Transplantation at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Surgery went ahead at the Freeman Hospital in the early morning and recovery was slow as the kidney didn’t ‘wake up’ fully and start functioning properly for almost a fortnight. I trusted all would be well and spent 25 days in hospital. The staff were utterly amazing. I can’t thank them enough.

As part of my recovery I started to get involved with Transplant Sport, and it soon became a regular fixture and highlight of my year to compete at the Westfield Health British Transplant Games.

After all the trials and tribulations of Covid-19, all Transplant Sport activities were lost for two years. In 2022 however, the Westfield Health British Transplant Games (in Leeds) returned, as did the European Transplant and Dialysis Sports Championships (in Oxford).

I was fortunate enough to receive a selection to compete in my first World Transplant Games after my competing in the British and European Games this year.

To represent my country at The World Transplant Games will be one of my (if not THE) proudest achievement, which truly proves that Organ Donation doesn't just save lives - it improves them.

All GB&NI Transplant Athletes are self-funding, and competing in Australia isn't going to be easy to fund ourselves. At a time where the cost of living is a huge issue for everyone, any assistance given would be gratefully received.