Birmingham Children’s Hospital British Transplant Games top prize for the 21st year
The inspirational Birmingham Children’s Hospital team has swept the board at this year’s British Transplant Games.
The efforts of the 36 young people, who competed in a variety of events over the four-day event in North Lanarkshire, brought back an impressive haul of 92 medals, including 45 gold, along with the Best Children’s Team prize for the 21st year running.
Backed by family, friends and staff the team, made up of children who have undergone a mixture of transplant operations including liver and kidney, took part in a host of events at the annual event last month including swimming, tennis and athletics.
There were many victories of note that included a number of individual category wins. Five-year-old Imogen Raxter, from Droitwich, took home Best Child in the under-fives title. Eight-year-old Charlotte Trinder, from Oxford, won the Best Child between six to eight years and ten-year-old Luca Biagetti from Cheshire scooped the Best Child between nine and eleven years prize. All three winners have previously had liver transplants at the specialist hospital.
Newcomer, 16 year-old Dylan Bridgwood from Newcastle-under-Lyme, also received the coveted Player’s Player award as voted for by the teammates for his kindness and support he’d shown them all during the games.
Sara Clarke, Senior Specialist Dietician at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, has been part of the management team for the Transplant Games for the past 15 years. She said:
“This year’s Transplant Games was incredible. The people of North Lanarkshire were so welcoming. Our transplant athletes were amazing both in their sporting performance and sportsmanship.
“To lift The Best Children’s Team trophy again was just fantastic. Through their outstanding performances these children and young people show how transplantation transforms lives, they are a credit to their families, transplant units, and their amazing donors and families.”
“We’re already setting our sights on next year’s games when it comes to Brum, which is so exciting.”
To find out more about organ donation or register on the national organ donation list, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call Organ Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23.