'I gave my husband a kidney for Valentine's Day'

As Sheffield prepares to host the British Transplant Games, some of the 2,800 competitors taking part have spoken to the BBC.

On 14 February 2025 Glyn Davies, 64, woke up to celebrate Valentine's Day with an extra reason to raise a glass to his wife.

Since early 2022 he had been suffering with the rare autoimmune disease, ANCA vasculitis. As a result his kidneys were failing and, ultimately, he needed a transplant.

His wife Claire, 63, came to the rescue putting herself forward as a possible donor.

"I'd always thought in my mind that I wanted to do that if I possibly could, but the chances were pretty slim," she said.

They both went under the surgeon's knife on 13 February 2025 and eighteen months later, Glyn's life has returned to normality.

"I got my energy back, I got my confidence back and can do things just like I could do before."

For Claire, after a couple of weeks of pain she was also back to normal.

"Trust me, it's the best thing I have ever done. And if I had another one, I'd do it again. People will be scared, but there's nothing to be scared of."

Glyn is among the hundreds of people taking part in the British Tranplant Games, which run from Thursday to Sunday.

The event will bring together transplant recipients as well as live donors, and donor families, from across the country, to participate in sport and raise awareness about organ donation.

First held 48 years ago, this year's event includes 26 sports, including athletics, golf, swimming, and snooker.

Ellie Greenwood, 21, is a swimmer from Rotherham. She has competed in the British Transplant Games every year since the age of two and has also represented Team GB three times in the World Transplant Games.

She received a liver transplant from an anonymous donor at just seven months old, and said one of her main motivations for taking part was to show people what can be achieved.

"I think I do the Transplant Games just so I can show people that even though I've had this transplant and take these tablets, I'm still quite healthy and I'm still winning medals," she said.

"In the normal world competitions, I'm a bit held back because of my transplant, but in the transplant world I'm on the same level as everyone else, so it's always good to have that same level of competition with everyone but also to have friends with the same thing as you."

Brothers Harry, 10, and Max, 13, from Leeds, will compete in the athletics.

Harry was just one when he had a liver transplant, and his brother Max, was 11 when he also needed the same surgery as a result of a rare genetic condition.

Their mother Laura said the Games played "a massive part" in her children's recovery.

"To be able to go and partake in something and watch them doing something together is kind of like a release, it's like the end of all the really difficult times and it's just nice to do something positive and normal without these shadows."

For many participants, the Games are also about encouraging people to have conversations about their final wishes.

More than 8,000 people are waiting for a donor, according to NHS Blood and Transplant.

Mahmud Nawaz lost his wife in 2004 after she suffered a brain haemorrhage. She was just 32 but had registered as a donor and her organs saved four lives.

"I think there's some real power in the Games in creating that conversation, creating that awareness and creating that joy of all the communities coming together. And if we can inspire through our leaders, through our media, through the Games, people to have that conversation, tell their loved ones what they want to do, that will help us save lives," he said.

Since his wife's death Mahmud has been keen to encourage people to tell their loved ones about organ donation, to carry a donor card and to register their decision on the organ donor register.

"In South Yorkshire, we're behind the curve - 36% of us are on the organ donor register. The national average is 40% so we need to drive more conversations."

The opening ceremony will start at 18:15 BST on Thursday with a parade from Tudor Square and a flame-lighting ceremony inside Sheffield City Hall.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North