'˜I'm grateful to me life-saving donor every day'

A Grangemouth man whose life was saved by a transplant is backing a national campaign to boost donor numbers.
Grangemouth's Callum is backing a national organ donation campaignGrangemouth's Callum is backing a national organ donation campaign
Grangemouth's Callum is backing a national organ donation campaign

Callum Reid (24) had his promising football career cut short in 2010 when his kidneys failed at the age of 17.

After months in hospital and coping with the death of his mother, Callum found it hard to comply with constant dialysis and treatment.

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But his transplant finally went ahead in October 2016 and Callum says he is grateful every day to the donor who gave him his life back.

Callum said: “Overnight, I went from being a healthy guy, playing football and training hard, to having a life ruled by kidney disease.

“After my mum died, I went through a hard time. I didn’t accept my diagnosis as much as other patients did as I had a lot on my mind. I didn’t want to live just for my treatment and didn’t go as regularly as I should have, which caused me problems.

“But I wised up because I wanted a chance at a life free of dialysis.

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“When I knew the transplant was going ahead, I remember being on dialysis just before surgery thinking this could be the last time I’d be a patient on that side of the machine.

“Seeing things starting to work properly after the transplant was amazing. Life now is like night and day compared to before.”

Callum is supporting the Scottish Government’s We Need Everybody campaign which is encouraging Scots to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.

There are 4345 people in Scotland who are living with a transplant, thanks to organ donors and their families, and 580 on the waiting list.

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Around 45 per cent of the Scottish population is on the register, but someone still dies every day in the UK while waiting on an transplant.

Callum added: “If I could give up everything I have to get someone a transplant, I’d do it. I know how incredibly lucky I’ve been and I have so much to be thankful for, thanks to my donor.”

To join the register, visit organdonationscotland.org.