Eleven athletes who have had life-saving transplants at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle have returned triumphant from the European Transplant Sport Championships.
The athletes, who between them have had surgery including heart, lungs, kidney, liver, pancreas and stem cell transplants, represented Team Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the event in Lisbon, Portugal.
Their haul of 211 medals is the most the team has ever achieved in this competition and includes the Heart/Lung Trophy and the Best Team Trophy with 139 gold, 67 silver and 15 bronze.
The Freeman Hospital’s Institute of Transplantation is the first centre in the UK to combine multiple transplants and services under one roof, and is a national leader in the field of solid organ transplants with some of the highest success rates in the UK.
According to NHS Blood and Transplant, the centre carried out over 200 transplants in 2023/24 including adult heart, lungs, liver, kidney and pancreas – and children’s heart and lung – with patients referred from across the UK for treatment. This includes 125 kidney transplants – 81 from people who donated after they died, and 44 from living donors.
The athletes include Becky Seaton from Cumbria who underwent a kidney and pancreas transplant at the Freeman, transplant games couple Craig Jones from Leeds, who had a double lung transplant at the Freeman and his wife Emma Hilton- Jones who had a heart transplant in London, and met at a previous transplant games event, Kirston Clulow who had a heart transplant and Charlotte Douglas who had a kidney transplant at the Newcastle centre.
And 31-year-old nurse Georgia Wilding who has worked for ten years in the Institute of Transplantation and who chose to altruistically donate her kidney to an anonymous recipient last year, after being inspired by her cousin who underwent a double liver transplant as a boy.
Georgia returned to win gold in her 5k event, she was the only woman taking part.
“We’ve had a fantastic time at both games, on a personal level it was great to be back to full fitness and to return to running. Seeing the team coming together to overcome the challenges they have faced to be here is really special,” she said.
Whilst Charlottee Douglas, 27, of Carlisle, who received a kidney five years ago from her mother who was a live donor, and was looked after by Georgia in the Freeman after her operation, won the team prize, along with two golds and five silver medals in her events.
“Since my transplant, I have been able to complete my teaching qualification and masters alongside rebuilding my fitness to compete in the transplant games. I have had so many amazing opportunities since my transplant and I’m really grateful to my mam for donating one of her kidneys to me.”
On their return they went straight to the British Transplant Games where Georgia took part in the 5k which was a non-competitive race, the 100m and badminton.
The team from the Freeman Hospital won 32 medals, including 13 gold, ten silver and nine bronze.
Lynne Holt, GB and NI team manager, said: “The whole team has performed above and beyond, under sometimes challenging circumstances. They are amazing ambassadors for transplant sport, organ donation and transplantation.
“Our participants are all here today thanks to the success of organ transplantation and the donors who made this possible.
“They are celebrating of life, and they have worked hard be at the peak of physical fitness, enabling them to compete in the games.”
She added: “More importantly, they are living examples of the need for organ donation and having those conversations, so your loved ones know your wishes.”
Over 700 participants travelled from 25 countries across Europe to compete in 14 sporting events at the European Transplant Sport Championships including everything from padel and volleyball to discus and pétanque.
Team GB and NI was the largest team taking part, with 70 competitors, accompanied by 50 supporters of family, friends, volunteer managers and physiotherapists.
The event aims to demonstrate the benefits of transplantation, encouraging transplant patients to regain fitness, whilst increasing public awareness of the need for more people to make their wishes clear on the NHS Organ Donation Register, as well as the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register, and discuss their decision now with their families.
This system currently works on the understanding that everyone over the age of 18 agrees to become an organ donor when they die, unless they have made it known they do not wish to donate or are in one of the excluded groups.
For out more and join the NHS Organ Donor Register by calling 0300 123 2323 or visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.
To join the bone marrow donor register go to http://www.anthonynolan.org/
