‘Mum gave me life in the first place and then she gave me my life back,’ says Swansea footballer heading to Transplant World Cup
James with his family
A “heroic” footballer from Swansea is aiming to compete in the first ever Transplant Football World Cup after his mum gave him one of her kidneys.
James Murphy is a member of the Wales Transplant Team, which is raising money so it can compete in the international competition that will be held in Italy in September.
The 38-year-old lorry driver for Royal Mail, was able to have a kidney transplant six years ago thanks to the organ donation by his mother, Katherine Murphy, 64,
The father-of-three has said that representing his country on the international stage is something he’s “dreamed of”.
The team’s fundraising efforts have been backed by pro-independence group, YesCymru. The campaigning organisation has set up a crowdfunding page and has pledged to provide match funding for the final total raised up to £5,000.
YesCymru Chair Phyl Griffiths has described the group of players as “heroic”.
The team is coached by James’ father, John Murphy, a former Swansea City Centre of Excellence coach.
James explained how he found out that his kidneys were failing: “At the time it seemed a bit sudden but there were signs that there was something wrong.
“I was getting tired. I was losing a lot of weight. I was looking pale, and I was just carrying on as you do, thinking that I was fine. I just thought it was part of getting older.
“It wasn’t until I had a lot of family members saying to me that I wasn’t looking right and that I wasn’t myself, urging me to go to the doctor.
“I kept putting it off and putting it off, but eventually I went one day for blood tests, and they got straight back to me that evening saying that I needed to go to see them in the morning. I was told that I was anaemic.
“Overnight more results had come back, so by the time I’d got to the doctor’s in the morning I had a letter waiting for me to send me straight to the hospital where there were specialists waiting for me.
“They ran me through a few tests I found out that my kidneys were on 4% function. The doctors said they’d never seen anyone still walking around with these type of blood test results.
“Once I had a couple of dialysis I felt like a million dollars so I realised how long it must have been going on for then. Dialysis does what the kidney is supposed to do so, it brings you back to where you should be until you have another session in a few days.
“I was waiting 18 months for a transplant. I had a kidney donated to me by my mother. It took 18 months for her to go through all the tests to make sure she was a fit.
“There were a few setbacks along the way where she’d had infections and reached the right markers to be able to donate an organ. So we had a few worrying times and a few frustrating periods but we got there.
“It was never a doubt for her. The moment they said I needed a transplant she said straight away she’d do it. My brother Sam put himself forward as well, but my mum was the best match for me according to the tests they did. So my mum gave me life in the first place and then she gave me my life back.
James added: “Joining this team has opened up a whole new world for me. The transplant community is so big. I’ve made some new friends. It’s a group of people who understand what each other have been through.
“We’ve got a WhatsApp group we’re all in and we ask for and share advice about different things like medication or recommendations for diets. We’re like a family really – a band of brothers. It’s a great source of emotional support as well as practical advice.
“It would mean everything to make it to the World Cup and represent Wales. When you grow up playing football you look up to the superstars. Transplant football level is not the same as the professional.
James continues:
“We don’t get paid millions of pounds to do it but it’s an opportunity to represent our country on a national level, which is something I’ve dreamed of as a child growing up. We’ve all dreamed of it so it would be a huge honour, and with it being the first ever transplant World Cup it’s definitely something we’d never forget. The support from YesCymru really means a lot.”
YesCymru Chair Phyl Griffiths said: “We are incredibly proud to support the Wales Transplant national football team. It is more than a team, and each one of its players is heroic. They are a powerful support network and social group providing help and opportunities for young people who have had organ transplants.
“With enough support, for the first time ever, Wales Transplant Team will be representing Cymru at the World Cup in Italy in September.
“YesCymru wants to make sure that this remarkable group can make history and fly the flag of Wales on the world stage, which is why we have chosen them as our nominated cause for this year. As an organisation we will match the donations of supporters of this campaign up to £5000.
“We believe that our strength as a country comes from our communities and the transplant community in Wales is a fine example of that.”
To donate please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/yes-cymru-5