Patient wins at first ever Transplant Euros Championship
One of our patients has been part of the winning team at the first ever Transplant European Football Championship. Johnny Byamungu, who received a life-saving kidney transplant at Hammersmith Hospital in 2021, took part in the tournament where England secured a 1-0 victory over Italy with a last-minute goal to win the final.
The tournament follows on from last year's first World Transplant Football Cup held in Cervia, Italy, where the team narrowly missed out on a gold medal after being knocked out by Spain but still came away with a bronze medal. The games aim to promote transplant football and raise awareness for organ donation.
Johnny, who was born with Prune-Belly syndrome, came to our young adult kidney clinic four years ago when his kidney function was rapidly declining. Despite numerous surgeries, he pursued a love of sport, especially football. While on dialysis and awaiting a transplant, his mum entered the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme, which led to a successful kidney match and transplant. With support from his family, friends and NHS staff, Johnny recovered, regained confidence, and went on to join England’s Transplant Football Club.
Johnny said: “To win the Euros was so fantastic and a feeling like no other. To go through all the hardship in my life and thinking I’ll never play football again, it’s been a dream come true. And to represent my country and win is just the cherry on top. It will always be a lifelong memory for me and a story I’ll be telling my grandchildren. When that final whistle went, I was almost in tears as I thought back to what I’d been through – it’s such a high.
“I want to thank the squad, manager and coaches, who are more like family to me. The bond I created with the lads is one I’ve never made with a group before, sharing similar stories of past experiences but also how grateful we all are and how close we are as a team - it’s probably one of the main reasons we won the competition!
“Another great thing about the win is the chance to spread the word of organ donation and how important that is giving others a second chance at life. It’s amazing to think that without organ donation that team wouldn’t have been there! What better way to spread the message to show how important organ donation is and the impact it can have on someone’s life.”
