North East man tells us about the importance of organ donation
A North East man is encouraging others to have conversations around organ donation.
Pete Nyland from Washington was diagnosed in 2015 with Stage 4 Liver Disease caused by Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, and was given two years to live unless he lost enough weight to be deemed fit to have a transplant.
He weighed 24-stone at the time, and needed to lose around 5 stone to be deemed fit enough for a transplant.
By summer of 2018, through a managed diet and exercise, Pete had lost more than 8-stone and successfully had a liver transplant.
Pete said: "His family consented to the transplant. That decision saved my life. I would have died in 2018, age 59, had it not been for that family.
"Over 9,000 people on the waiting list. The reality is that 20% of those people will die before a suitable organ becomes available. That's a complete and utter waste of life."
Since then, Pete has led a normal life and still exercises up to four hours a day and competed in the British, European & World Transplant Games, winning medals in Archery, Petanque & Ten Pin Bowling.
He will be competing again at this year’s British Transplant Games in Sheffield.