Thursday, August 19, 2010, 11:00
A groundsman at the University of Bath who had a liver transplant seven years ago will be preparing the site for the British Transplant Games.
Mike Pooley, from Bathwick, was given a new lease of life after his transplant on New Year's Eve in 2003.
Now the 49-year-old is one of the groundsmen who will be preparing the university site for the transplant athletes taking part in the games.
Mr Pooley was first admitted to hospital with pains that were initially put down to gall stones.
But doctors discovered something else was wrong and he spent five weeks in the Royal United Hospital having tests.
The results showed that Mr Pooley had been accidently given hepatitis C in a blood transfusion when he was 14, and as a result his liver was now failing.
Mr Pooley said: "In those days they didn't screen the blood as carefully, and I was given blood with hepatitis C.
"My liver was not able to cope anymore and so I needed a transplant."
After the diagnosis he was sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for assessment, before being put on the transplant list.
Mr Pooley then had to spend the next month waiting for the call, along with his wife Susan.
He said: "It was quite a worrying time, for both me and my family.
"I was told that I had to keep my phone on me at all times in case a suitable liver became available.
"Every time my phone rang my heart was in my mouth as I thought it was the call.
"I had to have a bag packed, as I had to be ready to leave with an hour's notice.
"I tried to keep things as normal as possible but it was hard, as you never know when you will get the call and have to go to hospital.
"It was really hard for Susan as there was nothing she could do to help."
After the operation Mr Pooley faced a long road to recovery.
He spent weeks in bed, with just walking to the toilet being a huge effort, and it took nine months before he was fit enough to go back to work. Now Mr Pooley is fighting fit, and feels like he has been given a second chance.
He said: "I feel brilliant now, and am back to full health.
"It feels like I have been given a second chance of life, and I can now live it to the full.
"Having my transplant on New Year's Eve meant that I started the new year with new hope.
"Organ donation really is the gift of life.
"It is important that people sign up to the organ donor register, as there are so many people who are waiting for transplants.
"Others may not be as lucky as I was."
The British Transplant Games take place during the next four days at various locations throughout the city.
For more information, see our games schedule.
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