Supporting Michael's Transplant Journey

My name is Michael Halward and I am raising funds to support my opportunity to represent Great Britain in Archery and four other sports in the 2025 World Transplant Games in Dresden, Germany.

I will be joining over 3,000 Athletes and teams from 60 countries taking part in 17 different sports over 6 days. This incredible event celebrates the resilience and strength of transplant recipients from around the world, and I am honoured to be a part of it.

Background

My chronic kidney failure was diagnosed in 2016, which proved an interesting, exhausting time with my only kidney working at 5% around November - dialysis followed, not a fun time. Saying that, I was incredibly lucky in late January 2017 that a match was found on the donor register and thanks to the amazing Transplant Team at Churchill Hospital, Oxford, I had a new kidney. I cannot thank the Team enough!

Currently, there are around 5,000 people waiting for a kidney donor in the UK, and approximately 3,000 kidney transplants happening in the UK each year.

My Kidney

I received a ‘sleepy kidney’, not a live kidney from a living donor. It took a while for it to start working so my partner Eliana fondly called it Arthur. Shortly after he acquired this nickname (he must have liked it), Arthur started working and became a loved part of our family.

I had heard about the Transplant games before (a bit like the Olympics), and joined the Oxford Team in 2017 planning to compete in tenpin bowling, which I had always enjoyed.

During my recovery, we happened to notice the Grand National horse race had a horse running called 'One for Arthur’. Eliana and I were amused by the coincidence, so we decided to bet £20 on him. On the day, we arrived late and could not see any sign of Arthur, until we spotted him, unfortunately at the very back. Suddenly, Arthur seemed to wake up, like my kidney, and slowly started overtaking all the horses until he reached the post first. We won £380 that day and decided to buy a bow and enter Archery as well.

The summer came and we headed to North Lanarkshire in Scotland for my first games. To our surprise, I won a bronze in Archery and Javelin.

World Transplant Games

The games are a worldwide participatory sport and cultural event for transplant recipients and their families. With live donors ranging from 3 to 80+ years of age, taking part in many activities. Its aim is to demonstrate the benefits of transplantation, encouraging transplant patients to regain fitness, whilst increasing public awareness of the need for more people to join the NHS Organ Donation Register.

As a transplant patient myself, I think it's essential to get this message across to everyone and support anyone with a transplant.

We all need to value our 'Gifts of Life' and making the most of life while we can. My story is testament to the second chance at life I received through organ donation. It is an opportunity to honour my donor and their family, and to inspire others who are waiting for their own miracle.

We, as a family, are extremely grateful to my donor and donor family and are keen to spread the word about how important and lifesaving organ donation is to so many.

Arthur's Games

Since then, ‘Arthur’, Eliana and I have attended 6 British Games, including the last European Games in Oxford. We have made lots of friends and won a variety of medals, all while representing and supporting the Oxford and GB Transplant Teams over the last few years.

Support

Attending the World Transplant Games 2025 in Dresden will be an amazing opportunity for me be part of TeamGB and increase awareness of organ and stem cell donation...and I would really appreciate your support to make it happen.

Currently the Transplant Games currently receive no central funding; they are entirely self-funded. I need your support to make this a reality. The costs associated with participation, kit, coaching, along with travel to the games are significant, and I am reaching out to my community for help. Your generous contributions will not only help me compete but also raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and the life-changing impact it can have.

If you’re happy to help support me, can you please click the link and make a small donation, every pound will be a step towards Dresden.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for considering a donation!

Michael Halward