Organ and stem cell transplant recipients and donors from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust struck bronze, silver and gold in this year’s British Transplant Games.
The British Transplant Games is an annual event where transplant recipients and donors compete in a range of sporting events to raise awareness of the need for organ donation, encourage transplant recipients to lead active lifestyles and show appreciation for their donors and their families.
One woman who received a heart transplant at Wythenshawe Hospital shared her five-year journey to her very first competition.
Anneka, from Huddersfield, had a shock diagnosis of heart failure in 2019. She said: “I had to be closely monitored by Leeds General Infirmary because I was pregnant at the time, and it was already quite severe.
“Pregnancy didn’t cause my condition, but for some women, it can reveal underlying heart issues because the organ is under a lot more stress”.
Anneka was admitted to hospital on bed rest at 34 weeks pregnant and welcomed her son in November 2019. Due to the severity of her heart failure, doctors told her that transplant was a likely option. Her care was transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital in late 2020 and she was placed on the routine transplant list. In early 2021, she received the life changing call.
She said: “My son was just shy of being two years old. He was fast asleep when my husband and I set off so I couldn’t say goodbye properly.
“The emotions of it all are hard to describe. It was a whirlwind – my adrenaline was through the roof. I’d only returned to work months earlier from maternity leave, and I was off again for my operation”.
Anneka operation was a success, and she was discharged from Wythenshawe Hospital after just three weeks. She said: “The recovery process is different for everyone, but I was lucky enough to be in reasonable health and relatively active as I went into my op, and I think this helped.
“Even though it’s major surgery, I was shocked at how immobile I was. I couldn’t lift my boy for some time after my op because of the risk of doing damage to my healing sternum which was really difficult.
“Six months post-op, I had one episode where there were signs my body was rejecting the organ, but I was rushed in quickly and was treated. Generally, I am doing well, and the doctors are happy with the results of my biopsies”.
After such life-changing surgery, Anneka, like many people, sought out a community of people who have also had an organ transplant, where she learned about The British Transplant games.
Anneka said: “I’d heard about the British Transplant Games on their social media and thought it would be a great way to meet other people.
“Having a transplant gives you an instant connection with other people who have been through the same experiences as you. You tend to have the same outlook on life and the same concerns”.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has three transplant units across their hospitals. Manchester Royal Infirmary and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital both care for kidney and stem cell transplants, and Wythenshawe Hospital, which specialises in heart and lung transplants.
Across the three sites, 47 transplant recipients and donors competed and the teams won 70 medals – beating Team GB who won 65 medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics. All the events are categorised based on age, with some just two-years-old, and their individual abilities. Competitors ranged from some who were one-year post-transplant, all the way to an amazing 33-year post-Transplant.
Anneka said: “I competed in the swimming events and got a silver medal for freestyle and backstroke. I was also on the swimming relay team, with three other people who had their surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital – I only met them the night before the race!
“In day to day, it’s really rare to meet people in the flesh who have had a transplant, and it was so inspirational to see people doing so well after their operations. My whole family came together to support me, and we all had such a great day together”.
New Start is a charity which provides funds to support the Heart and Lung transplant programme at Wythenshawe Hospital. Lynda Ellis from the Charity said: “I’m so proud to hear that Anneka is doing so well after her operation.
“Having an organ transplant is a very difficult time for people, especially when you’re a new mother to a young child. I hope that she will continue to compete in the British Transplant Games and brings home more medals”.
Charity Kidney’s For Life raises funds for the renal transplant teams at Manchester Royal Infirmary and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Zoe Dixon is a kidney transplant patient herself and manages the Manchester Adult team.
She said: “The whole experience is a celebration and has a great camaraderie between organ donors, recipients, and their loved ones. Please keep an eye on the British Transplant Games website to sign up to next year’s event, as we are always looking for new team members”.