Two Gloucestershire transplant recipients from Stroud and Minchinhampton have celebrated remarkable sporting achievements at this year’s British Transplant Games in Sheffield, while highlighting the life-changing importance of organ donation.
Lucy Chandler, 31, from Stroud, won a bronze medal in the 5k road race and has represented the Gloucestershire team since first competing in the Games.
Lucy received a live-donor kidney transplant from a close friend on 2 May 2019 at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, aged just 24.
She had been diagnosed with IgA nephropathy in her early teens. The condition causes protein to be lost through the urine and can eventually lead to scarring and deterioration of kidney function.
Lucy began peritoneal dialysis in 2018 before later moving to haemodialysis ahead of her transplant.
Now working full-time in the NHS, Lucy says the support of her partner, family and friends has been invaluable throughout her journey.
Competing in the British Transplant Games over the last three years has also given her the opportunity to meet other transplant recipients, living donors and donor families.
Lucy said: “Getting to be a part of the British Transplant Games is an unforgettable experience, and I feel very fortunate to be in such good health to be able to compete.
“It’s such an amazing event to be a part of, and to see thousands of people together in the same city celebrating being given a second chance at life. The atmosphere is indescribable.
“To be surrounded by a community of strong and resilient individuals that understand what you’ve been through or are going through is like no support system you’d ever normally encounter.
“I really can’t recommend the Games enough for those who are on dialysis, post-transplant or who have been a live donor.”
Lucy is also encouraging people to consider organ donation, pointing to the thousands of people currently waiting for a transplant in the UK.
She added: “Currently there are over 8,500 people waiting for a transplant in the UK as there is a critical shortage.
“I would encourage those not already on the Organ Donor Register to sign up – you can save up to nine lives – or if you have considered live altruistic donation to look into this further on the NHS Organ Donation page.
“You could completely change someone’s life.”
Lucy’s Gloucestershire teammate John Goodwin also enjoyed success at this year’s Games, winning three silver medals in the swimming events – the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 50m breaststroke.
The 59-year-old from Minchinhampton narrowly missed out on gold by just one hundredth of a second and is already looking ahead to next year’s Games in Birmingham.
John returned to the British Transplant Games after a 29-year gap, having previously represented Great Britain at the World Transplant Games in Manchester and Sydney in 1997.
His own transplant journey began in 1992 when he developed kidney failure.
John said: “I presented at Gloucester, being referred by my GP. I saw a consultant and I thought I was just going for a routine appointment.
“Then within an hour or two, when I got the blood results, I was sent straight up to the renal ward.”
He began haemodialysis at Gloucester and was placed on the transplant waiting list. The following year he received his first kidney transplant at Churchill Hospital in Oxford.
That kidney lasted for 24 years. When it began to fail, John returned to peritoneal dialysis before receiving a second transplant in 2018.
This time, the donor was his sister, who is a nurse and has worked for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and in the Gloucestershire community throughout her career.
For John, the British Transplant Games are about much more than medals.
He said: “One of the best things about the Games is it raises awareness about organ donation.
“The medals are presented to you by donor families, which is very special. I was glad that they were there and involved and could see how donations transform lives.
“Organ donation is a very altruistic thing to do.”
Lucy and John’s achievements demonstrate the extraordinary opportunities that can follow a successful transplant, while their experiences also underline the importance of organ donation.
The British Transplant Games bring together transplant recipients, living donors and donor families from across the country to celebrate life, raise awareness of organ donation and demonstrate what can be achieved following transplantation.
For more information about organ donation and to register your decision, visit the NHS Organ Donation website.
