'I had kidney and liver transplant at 21 - now I'm training to be a surgeon'

The medical student, who grew up near Chester, said he wants to become a transplant surgeon due to his own experience

A medical student who went under the knife for 14 hours for a dual kidney and liver transplant operation days after his 21st birthday now dreams of becoming a surgeon himself to help other people.

Andy Prigg, who grew up near Chester, was born was autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), a rare genetic condition that can severely affect the kidneys and liver, and finally received the call for the transplant just after he finished his second year at Sheffield University in June 2024.

ARPKD can cause a wide range of problems, including underdeveloped lungs which can cause severe breathing difficulties soon after birth, high blood pressure (hypertension), excessive peeing and thirst, problems with blood flow through the liver and a progressive loss of kidney function, known as chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to the NHS website.

“Growing up, it was quite difficult as I had to go to the toilet more frequently, because the bladder is effectively smaller with the big kidneys, and had lots of medical appointments,” Andy, now 22, told PA Real Life. “But more significantly, I think the fact that you know you’re different to the other kids is quite a hard thing to accept, especially when it’s picked up on by others.”

The university student also highlighted that because his condition is not immediately obvious to the eye, it can cause a lack of understanding. From an onlooker’s perspective, I don’t look sick in the photos pre-transplant – and when there’s no clear physical sign that something is wrong, people are often less open to the idea that it affects your daily life,” he reflected.

Despite struggling his whole life with the condition, Andy noticed that his health deteriorated quicker at university. “The tiredness crept up a lot more, so I just felt shattered all the time,” said Andy. “I felt really groggy, and particularly with working out I wasn’t recovering as quickly.”

After numerous meetings and assessments, it was determined that Andy was eligible for a pre-emptive transplant and he was placed on the national waiting list for a combined kidney-liver transplant in January 2024. He shared that he struggled both physically and mentally during this limbo period while he awaited the transplant call.

“It’s horrible. It’s a really strange situation, because you’re in two minds about it,” said Andy. “You’re angry at the situation you’re in but you also want a phone call selfishly because it means you’re going to get sorted. But at the same time you don’t want a phone call, because it’s a huge operation and you could die during it. Also, you don’t want a phone call because it means someone else has died.”

He finally received the call on June 4, 2024 and had the major operation the next morning at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. “It was 14 hours under the knife, then five days in ICU and 10 days in hospital, and initially it felt like I had been hit by a bus,” Andy said. “Because the surgery involved two incisions on either side of my body, it was very difficult to sleep as I couldn’t roll onto either side.

“But I started to feel progressively less bad each day – and by the end of September, I felt better than I did before the transplant, which was surreal.” Despite the rough recovery, Andy said the transplant has been life-changing.

“It’s completely different because I’ve never had real function like this, my liver has never been as good as it is now,” said the medic student. “I now have more energy and am doing lots of more things. I’ve also got much more time and brain space to do transplant research alongside med school and, most importantly, to just enjoy life.”

He added that his experience with “brilliant” doctors throughout this whole journey is what inspired him to study medicine. “I’ve been ridiculously lucky to come across brilliant medics, particularly growing up, and that makes a real impression on you,” said the aspiring transplant surgeon.

“Being surrounded by a lot of sick kids gives you that perspective in terms of this one of the very few careers you can actually directly help people and feel a bit less powerless. I’m drawn to transplant surgery because of my own experience, and the fact that it has the ability to take a little something back from death.”

Andy is also keen to debunk common misconceptions about transplants. “I was at Westminster speaking to MPs this time last year and they were completely gobsmacked that a guy of my age had had not just one but two transplants,” said Andy. “There is also a stereotype that the only reason for a liver transplant is alcohol-related liver disease, which is wrong.”

Since his operation, Andy has also thrown himself into fitness and sport, including competing at last year’s Westfield Health British Transplant Games in Oxford, where he won two gold medals in the cycling time trial and road races. Taking part in the annual multi-sport event also provided Andy with the opportunity to meet other young transplant recipients for the first time.

“I met loads of people my age there and I previously didn’t know of anyone who had had a kidney transplant before,” said Andy. This year’s games will take place in Sheffield between August 6-9, where more than 2,500 participants are expected to take part across 26 sports.

“At the heart of it is the donor families who, without them, none of us would be there,” said Andy. “It brings both families of the donors and recipients together to celebrate.” Andy also plans to compete in the European Transplant Games in Arnhem, Netherlands, in June and hopes that sharing his story will help encourage people to consider to becoming an organ donor.

“Having the conversation with your family now about wanting to consent to organ donation when you are no longer alive means you could end up saving up to nine lives – and changing 50 more,” said Andy. “That family conversation matters, because it’s your loved ones who grant or decline consent upon your death, and them knowing what you’d want takes the uncertainty away for your loved ones, and can help give a little hope in a really tragic situation.”

For more details about organ donation, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/donate

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