'We won gold at British Transplant Games but have our eyes on a bigger prize — a kidney donor'

'We won gold at British Transplant Games but have our eyes on a bigger prize — a kidney donor' EXCLUSIVE: Tom Chater and his 18-year-old son Nick won gold in archery at the British Transplant Games in Sheffield, but now have a greater goal in their sights A father and son who both won gold at the British Transplant Games are hoping for the prize of their lives as they appeal for a kidney donor. Nick, 18 and his dad Tom Chater, 50, have been presented with the first golds after competing in archery at the biggest transplant games in half a century. Speaking to The Mirror after their medal haul in Sheffield, the teenager told how he had been waiting three years and three months for a donor and has so far had 1,000 nights of dialysis. The transplant waiting list in the UK is at a record high with more than 8,200 people waiting for a donor. The opt-out scheme means organs are automatically donated after a Mirror campaign. But if they haven't joined the UK Donor Register that decision will be down to the family. Nick said if a donor came forward it would give his life back, adding: “It’s a gradual decline in your energy and ability to do things. It takes away a lot of freedom because you have to be attached to a machine for nine hours every night. I think we are only up to the average waiting time so far but you hope it’s going to come quicker. “Every time my phone rings, from any number, I’m always thinking ‘oh, is that the transplant coordinator phoning to say that we’ve got a kidney for you. Because it could happen any time of day or night. That’s the only phone call that I want." Nick's 'dreams are on hold' He told how his “dreams are on hold” as he is unable to carry on with pilot medical until a transplant and return to his home 8,000 miles away on the Falkland Islands. It will be his second kidney transplant, as he had his first aged four, when his dad underwent surgery to donate his, which lasted 11 years before it started to fail. His aunt and uncle along with two friends have since offered their kidneys but they were not a match. They are now prepared to take part in kidney matching to help others in return for someone helping Nick. His mum, Jane 53, a helicopter pilot, is now living in Leeds as Nick waits for a donor, explained how on the Falklands they also have an extra scan at 32 weeks because they do not have the specialists on the island, so need to be well prepared for any possible complications. As a result they found a problem with both his kidneys, prompting a move to the UK for Nick’s birth. Jane recalled: "The news got worse and worse. For the first year it was a battle to keep him alive. We were told he would need a transplant down the line. Tom nearly fainted and I was in complete denial." They had an agonising wait until Nick was big enough and well enough to receive his 6ft 5inch dad’s kidney. 'This is absolutely vital' When it did happen, his mum described transplant day in Bristol as a long day pacing the floor, adding: “The kidney started working straight away and you could see the numbers heading in the right direction which was amazing as he had been so sickly for so long." Pilot Tom said when he came round, he went to visit his son on the other side of the city in the children’s hospital. He said: “I don’t even like having my blood taken but most family members will tell you, you just do it. Afterwards I gave Nick a hug and burst into tears then fell asleep in the chair. Now they are back hoping a second organ donation will help Nick get his life back. Nick added: "If people are thinking about registering as a donor make sure they have the conversation with your family. This is absolutely vital. Four hundred organs were lost in 2023 just because their families decided 'no'." Tom and Nick were presented with their gold medals on Thursday by relatives of donors. A massive 2,857 had registered for the games this year. Sharon's organs used to save four lives One of those presenting the medals in swimming this weekend will be Mahmud Nawaz, who lost his wife Sharon, aged 32, in March 2004, when she collapsed suddenly in the bathroom after suffering a catastrophic brain haemorrhage. Speaking to the Mirror, ahead of the British Transplant Games' official opening on Thursday, he said: "I was hoping for a miracle." Athletes paraded through Sheffield before the start of the contests. Mahmud explained a brain stem test proved she had died instantly and he agreed for her organs to be donated. He had been told by the NHS sister "I’m afraid there’s nothing we can really do" and they asked if his wife had considered organ donation. He had chatted to Sharon about her wishes during their marriage and he knew since the age of 16 she’d carried a donor card. "I knew she was really passionate about organ donation. The sister from A&E put her arm around me and said ‘it will be okay you know!’ She had lost her husband waiting for a kidney transplant and those nurses held it together for me." About his loss, he said: “We were going to start a family and later in storage I found the book of baby names. What you lose as a widow is not just the life you’ve had but the life you would have had.” But he told how he found comfort after discovering his wife's kidneys and liver were used to save four lives; three men in their 50s and an 18-month-old baby. Mahmud added: "The little boy would not have made it to two, it was his last chance saloon. He was yellow in hospital and needed a liver to survive. His parents were preparing his funeral. My tears of sadness turned into tears of joy because she would have loved the fact that she was able to save a child. She loved kids." Suvira's poignant letter Just last year, he met the parents of the little boy, a meeting he described as "incredibly emotional". He added: “That little boy is now in his early 20s. He was with his mum and dad and two siblings, it was so beautiful. They said they think of Sharon all the time which was really meaningful for me to hear that. “ Mahmud, who has remarried and has a daughter aged 13, pointed out: “Only one per cent of deaths happen in a way where organ donation is possible. That's why we have a waiting list because you are more likely to need one than be a donor. “So I’m so glad she prepared me by telling me what she wanted because I think I might have said ‘no’ otherwise. I didn’t have to agonise over that choice. Protect your loved ones by having that chat.” About handing out medals he said: “You get treated like the royal family here. You get the biggest hug here, there’s a special bond’. Suvira Madan and Sanjeev Madan’s son Eashan, died aged 27 last year and his wish to be a donor saved three lives and his pancreas was used for medical research. They are urging those from ethnic minority groups to have the conversation as there is a longer wait for organ donations. Eashan’s mum carries a letter from one of those who received her son’s organ donation which reads: "I wanted to reach out and let you know how much my life has changed since the transplant. Before this gift, simple things like travelling, playing with my kids, were not possible for me…I carry a piece of your family with me." Suvira told the Mirror: “Eashan was kind and selfless and only ever wanted to help others. If you met him for a few seconds you would never forget him.” Their son, they explained, had down syndrome and died of an unconnected and rare heart condition. His parents told how they were touched by NHS staff who gave their son a ‘guard of honour’ as he was stretchered down for his donation with his parents by his side. “We held his hand until his last heartbeat,” they said. Yuri Matischen, from Games organisers MLS, said: “It is the largest ever games and it’s one of the most positive PR stories around the benefits of organ donation and transplantation. It's such a huge celebration of the gift of life.”