The 31-year-old, who received a liver transplant last year, is heading to Nottingham for the Games which take place from August 1 – 4. This will be the first time Jamie participates in the event, where he will compete in football and the 1500m. This achievement seemed unimaginable even 18 months ago.

“I was born with the rare liver disease, biliary atresia,” says Jamie. “I had surgery when I was three weeks old, which averted the need for a transplant at the time, but years down the line, I developed cirrhosis and then a clot in the portal vein on my liver, which led to my transplant in March 2023.

It’s vital to make people aware of the importance of being a donor and what a positive impact it can have on someone else’s life.

“Fitness has always been an interest of mine. I go to the gym four times a week and cycle to and from work and feel great for it. So the Transplant Games really appeals to me and I’m looking forward to it. I’m quite competitive anyway and believe this is a great cause.

It’s vital to make people aware of the importance of being a donor and what a positive impact it can have on someone else’s life. It’s because of organ donation that I can enjoy my life with my partner Olivia and daughter Maia, and I’m so grateful to be here with them.”

The post Jamie’s story: “The Transplant Games really appeal to me and it’s a great cause” appeared first on British Liver Trust.

Doctors discovered an abnormality on a scan before I was born but didn’t know what it was. Bloods were taken after my birth and within two or three days a problem with my liver had been identified. My doctors knew it was serious but didn’t know what it was, so I was sent to King’s College Hospital. Just 24 hours later King’s confirmed it was biliary atresia and I had the Kasai procedure at just 12 days old.  At that point I was the second youngest person in the world to have had it.

The only comfort my parents could find in my situation was that my dad grew up very near King’s and his brother lived nearby so there was a lot of family support in the area.

I’ve had endoscopies and clinic appointments ever since but had no symptoms and thankfully they only had to do a surgical band on me once. My whole family is really into their sport and keeping fit and eating very well has really helped me over the years. From the age of 13 I was running national and regional cross-country championships, at 14/15 I played for Salisbury City and I played a bit of tennis too. I also ran for my university.

Academically I’ve done OK. I studied philosophy at university and graduated last year and I’m now working full time as a trainee teacher in Spanish and English. I’ve also been very involved with the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation over the years and done podcasts and blogs for them, as well as running the London Marathon.

I always knew I would need a liver transplant, but was still shocked when my doctors told me

When I was 21 doctors said it was looking increasingly likely that I would need a transplant within the next two years. I had always known it would happen, but when the reality actually hit, it came as a shock. I’m now on the transplant waiting list.

I contacted the London Transplant Football Team to say I would love to play some games with them. I had never met anyone with biliary atresia before outside of a medical environment and never really dreamed it would happen, so it was a bit of a wow moment to be playing with people with my condition. Everyone in the team has had a transplant, and not just livers, so we’re able to sympathise with each other and help each other. It’s good to be involved with them.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a liver condition, be kind to yourself and always remember you’re doing really, really well. Push yourself to stay fit and healthy if you can, but considering everything that people like myself have had to endure medically it’s important to look after your mental health too. Whatever you do make sure it makes you happy.

The post Louis’ story: “I was the second youngest person in the world to have the Kasai procedure” appeared first on British Liver Trust.

Read her inspiring story on her blog

The post Olivia’s story appeared first on British Liver Trust.