Leeds double lung transplant patient's 25-year milestone

ONE of the country's longest surviving double lung transplant patients is set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the operation which gave him the gift of life.

Cystic fibrosis sufferer Paul Woodward, of Seacroft, Leeds, suffered chronic breathing problems in his early twenties and struggled to walk more than a few metres. He was only expected to live for around six months before he underwent a transplant.

The double lung transplant was carried out at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle when he was aged 22 on September 20 1992. The operation was a success and Mr Woodward, 47, has competed in athletics and cycling events at British and World Transplant Games events.

Today is the start of Organ Donation Week and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is urging people to sign the Organ Donation Register as it relaunches its Be A Hero campaign, which is backed by the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Around 100,000 Yorkshire residents have been inspired to signed the Organ Donor Register since the Be A Hero campaign was launched in July 2015.

This year, the campaign is seeking to increase the number of registered organ donors in Yorkshire by 50,000 in just six months.

The YEP will this week feature a series of inspiring stories of people who have spoken of their experiences of organ donation.

Mr Woodward said: “Anyone who has had a transplant will tell you it’s the best feeling in the world.

290817 Paul Woodward from Seacroft , Leeds, one of the countries longest surviving double lung transplant patient out on his bike for a training run.

“It’s hard to put into words how you feel. I can’t thank my donor enough.

“It is so amazing to go from being so ill for so long to being able to live your to the full - it is like being born again.”

He added: “I was really ill before the transplant. It was a desperate situation. I couldn’t walk for any distance, I was on oxygen and was in and out of hospital all the time.

“The only person who you can’t thank is your donor because they have had to pass away just so you can live.”

290817 Paul Woodward from Seacroft , Leeds, one of the countries longest surviving double lung transplant patient with some of his tranplant games medals.

Mr Woodward had been on the transplant list for eight months when he got the call from a doctor at Freeman Hospital to say donor organs were available.

Mr Woodward, who was told the donor was a teenage boy, was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Newcastle and underwent a 12-hour operation.

He went from struggling to walk a few metres to competing in athletics and cycling events at British and European Transplant Games.

He won gold in the 100m in the 2015 games held at Gateshead in 14.5 seconds. Mr Woodward also won gold medals in the 100m and high jump at the European Transplant Games in Finland in 2016.

290817 Paul Woodward from Seacroft , Leeds, one of the countries longest surviving double lung transplant patients when he was in hospital aged 20.

Dr Gerard Meachery, consultant respiratory physician at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, said: “Paul is certainly one of our longest surviving lung transplant patients and is doing extremely well.”