Father who had kidney transplant honours donor’s memory through football

Ian Alexander plays for the Scottish Transplant Football Team (PA) Lucinda Cameron 3 minutes ago A father who underwent a life-changing kidney transplant is honouring the memory of his donor by continuing her love of football.

Ian Alexander, 35, was three years old when he first experienced kidney problems and was later told he would need a transplant at some point in his lifetime.

After his condition deteriorated he began dialysis at the age of 27 and went through many years of it.

He finally had a transplant in November 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow – two days after discovering that he was going to become a father.

Ian’s jersey bears the message ‘Forever 32’ (PA) Mr Alexander said: “That was a pretty hectic weekend because we just found out we were having a little boy on the Saturday, the transplant was essentially then on the Monday. So it was a hectic time.”

He said he has had a new lease of life since the kidney transplant, which came after two initial offers turned out not to be viable.

He said: “If you asked me back then how are you, I would have told you I was fine because it was the norm and as my kidney function declined, I just got on with it, it was the norm for me.

“But you look back on it now, especially looking at pictures and memories that pop up on Facebook , you can see just how unwell I was.

“But now I’m back playing football. I’ve got my kids to football four nights a week, I’ve now been married for nearly six months. So many things have happened thanks to me getting my transplant.”

After undergoing the transplant, Mr Alexander and the donor’s family made contact with each other, and he learned she had been a 32-year-old woman who loved football.

Mr Alexander, who has two sons aged four and six, had been unable to play because of his chronic kidney disease and took up the sport again as a way of honouring her memory.

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He now plays with the Scottish Transplant Football Team with the message “Forever 32” on his jersey, paying tribute to his donor every time he is on the pitch.

He said: “We love playing the game, but at the end of the day, when we take to that park the thing we’re doing it for is for our donors, whether that’s someone that can be there watching us, or whether that’s someone that’s sadly passed.”