James Kirby

Born in 1993 with a kidney condition, which meant neither of his kidneys worked properly, James was fed and medicated through tubes until 2001 when he was ready to receive a kidney donated by his mum. James is a remarkable young man who has accepted the hand life dealt him with enormous determination, strength of character and cheerfulness. Many of us could so easily have given up but James has always striven to make the most of every opportunity and to simply get on with his life. He enjoyed sport and in 2007 he was invited to compete for the UK Team in the World Transplant Games in Bangkok. Supported by the school James' united Year Team raised over £4000 to enable him to travel to Bangkok and take part in the Games. They were not disappointed. Through sheer hard work, commitment and enthusiasm James brought back 4 medals ?2 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. Since then James' kidney failed and in 2010 he underwent another complete transplant. Further long spells in hospital followed but his spirit and determination shone through. He has managed to gain 13 GCSE B and C grades, and is now at college. It seems that nothing can keep this young man down! Despite having a lot of complications following his transplant James' condition has been more settled recently and he is back to coaching other children in tennis, and hopes to compete in the British Transplant Games in Belfast this August.