CARWYN Jones did not think it would happen at his age.

Despite being a type one diabetic from the age of two, the 32-year-old from Pontsian led a healthy, active life until he suddenly suffered organ failure in July 2016.

“There were no warnings apart from an ear infection which wouldn’t clear up, but I just thought it was a virus,” he recalled.

“I was only in my 20s, playing rugby, running my own business as a tyre-fitter and I felt fit and healthy.

“Everything just happened so quickly. One day I went for my usual heart check and they said it was only pumping at 25 per cent capacity, then they rushed me to hospital and my kidneys were failing.

“Things kept deteriorating and now I’m on dialysis four hours a day, three times a week. It leaves me exhausted, irritable and unable to do anything, including work. Being on dialysis has taken over my life.

“It’s taken nearly a year just to get my heart strong enough to be added to the transplant waiting list which I’m over the moon to finally be added to.

“I’ll need to have a double organ transplant and hopefully they can do my kidney and pancreas at the same time, otherwise there might be complications.

“While I’ve been having treatment, I’ve met other dialysis patients who’ve gone on to have transplants and I’ve seen how much their lives improved afterwards.

“It gives me hope and the strength to keep going. I know that somebody has to die so that I can have my transplant operation and there are no words to say how grateful I’d be to the donor and their family for giving me the opportunity to get a new lease of life.

“Without donors many people like me spend their lives being treated in hospital just to survive.”

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