Meet six little heroes of the Transplant Games

These six heroes have all battled adversity to take part in this year's British Transplant Games, which conclude in Nottingham today.

The games attract competitors from across the country, all of whom have received an organ transplant in order to live.

A spokesperson said: "It really is humbling to see these children compete at the games.

"They have had to endure amazing battles, showing strength and courage. to see them healthy and competing in sport like this just shows how important and life-changing organ donation can be".

Camiyah Burton, age 3

• Liver transplant.
• Competing in obstacle race, ball throw and 25m sprint.

Camiyah lives with mum Abbie, 25, a carer, father Cameron, 28, a fibre engineer, and brothers Conan, seven, and Cemzo, 10 weeks, in Coventry and is one of the youngest competitors.

She was born with biliary atresia, where the bile ducts don’t work properly, and had a surgical procedure called a Kasai to try to mend her liver, but it failed. She was on the liver transplant list for just 19 days before her transplant aged 11 months.

Abbie said: “She was incredibly lucky as time was running out for her. We’d already had two false alarms where a liver had been found but then wasn’t suitable.

“The surgeon said afterwards he’d never operated on someone so poorly before, her liver had turned bright green with toxins.”

Abbie found Camiyah’s donor family through Tik Tok after the transplant and has been in touch with them.

Their daughter who donated was called Amy, so it is fitting that those letters also form part of Camiyah’s name too.

Abbie added: “We are incredibly grateful to the family. Without Amy, Camiyah wouldn’t be with us today. Amy’s favourite colour was purple, so we dress Camiyah in that colour as often as possible.”

Henry Entwistle, age 6

• Kidney transplant.
• Competing in the ball throw, cup stacking and the obstacle race.

Henry lives with mother Rebecca, 37, a hairdresser, father Ben, 32, a lorry driver, brother Josh, 17, and sister Lilly, nine, in Nottingham.

He was given a kidney by his grandfather Dave, 54, when he was 18 months old, after he was born with a kidney condition where his tubes didn’t develop.

His kidneys were so damaged doctors had suggested a termination to Rebecca while he was in the womb. But she was determined to give him a chance.

She said: “Everything that could go wrong during the transplant did.

“Dave’s kidney was bigger than they had thought which made it more difficult, and then he had a perforated bowel afterwards so had to be put into a coma afterwards for two weeks to reduce the risk of infection.”

He also had a stroke after the transplant and doctors said he would never walk, talk or see again, but he has proved them all wrong.

Rebecca added: “He was initially left paralysed by the stroke and we didn’t know what the future would hold for him.

“He had already been through so much having the transplant, so to have a stroke afterwards was devastating.

“But he has proved the doctors wrong and he’s always on the go. He loves swimming and karate. His grandad is also competing in the games too, which is lovely for Henry to have his grandad by his side.”

Sylvie Allison, age 11

• Liver transplant.
• Competing in obstacle race, table tennis, ball throw and 50m sprint.

Sylvie lives with parents Sandeep, 44, a marketing manager and Mike, 44, a secondary school teacher, and sister Ava, 14, in Leamington Spa. Ava saved her life when Sylvie was four after noticing her eyes were yellow when they were playing together and alerting Sandeep.

Within hours doctors discovered she was suffering from liver failure and was given a week to live.

Sandeep said: “We had no idea whether a liver would be found in time for her. It was such a shock, we never imagined it was anything so serious.

“Ava sat by her side holding her hand all the time while she was in a coma.”

Luckily a liver was found in time and she was able to recover. Sylvie will be competing on her 12th birthday at the games.

Sandeep added: “Ava saved her life. They were incredibly close before but now that bond is even stronger. They are not only sisters but best friends too.”

Rio Smith, age 8

• Kidney transplant.
• Competing in table tennis, football.

Rio, who lives with mum Courtney, 27, a full-time mum, dad Lewis, 28, a security guard, and sister Nylah, six, in Derby, had a kidney transplant two days before his fifth birthday. He had been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at birth after it was picked up when Courtney was just 20 weeks pregnant, and he had to go on dialysis at just five months old.

Courtney said: “He’s been through such a lot, but he’s always taken it in his stride.

“He’s had more than 30 operations on his kidneys before he finally had a transplant in January 2021, the first when he was only 11 days old.

“He’s been amazing since the transplant and loves playing cricket and football with his friends. He couldn’t compete at the games last year as he was poorly, so it was so exciting for him to be able to compete this time.

“He was also a pageboy at his grandma’s wedding two weeks ago.

“It was so emotional – all the guests knew what he’d been through.”

Harley Dague, age 12

• Kidney transplant.
• Competing in 3k walk, table tennis, football and table tennis.

Harley lives with mum Zoe, 39, dad Kenny, 42, who are both carers, brothers J-Leigh, 21, Scott, 15, Ruby, 14, and sister Poppy, four, in Mansfield, Notts.

Kenny donated a kidney to save his son after he was born with cysts over his organs. When Zoe was 28 weeks pregnant, doctors told his devastated parents he wasn’t going to live, but he defied the odds.

Zoe said: “Kenny had been lined up to donate to him ever since the age of three.

“At that point he was even prepped for the transplant, waiting to have his kidney taken out. Harley was taken down to the operating theatre but when surgeons opened him they found he couldn’t have the transplant as his veins were too small and damaged.

“So they had to cancel the operation and put him on dialysis.

“His case was so complicated it was looked at during international medical conferences, and eventually surgeons at the Evelina Children’s Hospital in London decided they could try.

“It took five years on dialysis for his veins to recover enough to eventually have his dad’s kidney, and the transplant took place when he was eight. It’s given him his life back – he’s always had a great bond with his dad but now its unbreakable.

“He has made great progress since and loves playing football.

“He loves the transplant games and he’s made a best friend called Jack there. They love playing on the Xbox together.”

Albie Wareham, age 11

• Liver transplant.
• Competing in football and tennis.

Albie, who lives with mum Verity, 41, and older brothers Joe, 18, Camden, 16, and Levi, 14, in Dorset, suddenly developed liver failure triggered by a virus.

Verity had noticed something was wrong when his eyes suddenly turned yellow.

Verity, a teaching assistant, said: “Initially the doctors thought he had contracted hepatitis and we were sent home from hospital but then at home he rapidly went downhill. He was so jaundiced and barely eating. He developed a rash and then he was blue lighted to hospital.

“When we got to the hospital he was so poorly that doctors put him in a coma whilst he waited to see if a liver could be found, and he wouldn’t have survived if they hadn’t done that.”

Luckily 24 hours later a donor was found and Albie’s life was saved.

Verity added: “It happened so quickly, it felt surreal. Luckily we got home the day before Christmas and were able to celebrate.

“He took a long time to recover as he kept getting infections but he eventually went back to school full time in September 2022, nearly a year later.”