“Thanks to the persistence of my mother I was transferred to the Meath hospital in Dublin,” said the 43 year-old who will compete for Ireland in the World Transplant Games in Bangkok, Thailand, later this month.

“I am really looking forward to it. I am not going to set my sights too high though as part of the experience of going is to promote the benefits of organ donation and the idea of healthy living through sport,” said the father of three.

Paul spent a lot of time in hospital in the early 1960s when they weren’t as well equipped as they are now.

After his father died when he was four, his mother raised a family of 13. “Due to my health I started school at seven years of age. My condition stabilised as a young teenager but as I got older it deteriorated and I was put on dialysis,” said Paul.

And then it all happened. “In the space of six months in 1994, I was put on dialysis, bought a house, got married and had my transplant,” said.
“I have three healthy children since then and that says it all. I really do live life to the full now and I enjoy relatively good health.”

Paul, who has just been appointed as the National Chairman of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA), will compete in ten pin bowling single and doubles, badminton doubles, 5k walk and the ball throw at the Games which start on Saturday, August 25th.

Paul’s wife Adrienne and his children Luke, Grace and Adam will be cheering him on from their home in Doogarry. The Cavan man, who lived in Leitrim for seven years, is the Chairman of the Leitrim IKA branch and he was living in the county when he was transplanted.

He stressed the importance of carrying a donor card. “A survey by The European Commision has found that 80 per cent of people think that carrying an organ donor card is a good idea but only 29 per cent of people actually do carry one.”

You can follow the team’s progress on www.transplantteamireland.com.

For an organ donor card free text the word ‘DONOR’ to 50050 or log on to www.ika.ie for more