NHS Golden Jubilee heart transplant recipients ready for action at British Transplant Games
A team of heart transplant recipients from across Scotland will proudly represent NHS Golden Jubilee for the first time at the British Transplant Games in Sheffield this week, celebrating the life-changing impact of organ donation and the extraordinary opportunities transplantation creates.
The newly-formed Golden Jubilee Scotland Heart Transplant Sports Team, part of the Heart Transplant Active – Scotland group, will compete at the Games from 6 - 9 August, with 11 transplant recipients and 7 supporters travelling to England to take part in a wide range of sporting events.
All members of the team received their heart transplants through the Scottish National Advanced Heart Failure Service (SNAHFS) based at NHS Golden Jubilee, which carried out the highest number of heart transplants in the UK over the past 12 months.
In addition to raising awareness about organ donation, the team also aims to encourage transplant recipients to lead active lives, build confidence and support one another.
Team Captain and heart transplant recipient, Alison Gray, said: "To have 11 competitors and 7 supporters representing NHS Golden Jubilee and Scotland in our very first year is beyond anything I could have imagined.
“We are incredibly proud to be taking part in the Games and showing what is possible after transplantation.
"For me, one of the highlights will be the Donor Run. It brings together donor families, living donors and transplant recipients in a truly special way. We will run and walk in honour of the gift we have received, remember those donors who made transplantation possible, and thank their families for their incredible generosity.
"Every person on our team has their own story, but we all share one thing in common - we have been given a second chance at life. The British Transplant Games are about celebrating that gift, raising awareness of organ donation and inspiring others to have those important conversations with their loved ones."
Competitors will take part in events including golf, badminton, archery, table tennis, volleyball, ten-pin bowling, crown green bowls, athletics, pétanque and the Donor Run, one of the most poignant and celebrated events of the Games.
The team’s participation reflects not only their own determination and resilience, but also the lasting impact of organ donation, which has enabled them to return to active, fulfilling lives.
Home to Scotland’s national heart transplant service, NHS Golden Jubilee has carried out more than 300 heart transplants since the service moved to Clydebank in 2008, where recipients receive lifelong, specialist follow-up care after their life-saving treatment.
Carolynne O’Connor, Chief Executive of NHS Golden Jubilee, said: "We are immensely proud to support and celebrate the very first Golden Jubilee Scotland Heart Transplant Sports Team as they prepare to represent us at the British Transplant Games.
"Seeing transplant recipients return to sport, travel, spend time with their families and pursue their ambitions is one of the most powerful reminders of why organ donation matters.
“Every member of this team is a testament to the life-changing impact of transplantation and the dedication of the multidisciplinary teams who support patients throughout their journey.
"Most importantly, none of this would be possible without the extraordinary generosity of organ donors and their families. We remain deeply grateful for the selfless decisions they make, often during the most difficult circumstances, to give others the gift of life.
"We hope the team’s participation encourages people to have conversations about organ donation with their families. Those discussions can ultimately save lives and create opportunities for people to live life to the fullest."
The British Transplant Games bring together transplant recipients, living donors, donor families and supporters from across the UK to celebrate the success of transplantation and demonstrate the benefits of an active lifestyle after transplant.
For Team Golden Jubilee, Sheffield will mark the beginning of a new chapter, built on friendship, resilience, gratitude and a shared commitment to honouring the donors who made their journeys possible.
Give the gift of life
NHS Golden Jubilee is encouraging people to take a few minutes to learn more about organ donation and, most importantly, to have a conversation with their loved ones about their wishes.
Although Scotland operates an opt-out system for organ and tissue donation, families will always be consulted before donation can proceed. Making your decision known can provide clarity and reassurance for those closest to you.
For more information about organ donation, visit NHS Organ Donation Scotland and speak to your family about your decision.
Additional information
Since Scotland’s first heart transplant was carried out in January 1992, almost 600 patients have benefited from the national service. Advances in surgical techniques, technology and organ preservation continue to improve outcomes and create more opportunities for transplantation.
The heart transplant service in Scotland started in 1992 at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and moved to the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital in 2008, following the creation of the national and regional specialist heart and lung centre at the Clydebank site.
280 heart transplants were carried out at Glasgow Royal Infirmary up until 2008, while NHS Golden Jubilee has carried out 314 transplants up to 31 March 2026 since 2008.
NHS Golden Jubilee is encouraging people to continue having conversations about organ donation with their families, helping to ensure more patients can receive the life-saving transplants they need in the future.
For more information on organ donation, visit: https://www.organdonation.scot/
Meet the team
Representing the Golden Jubilee Scotland Heart Transplant Sports Team in their sports are:
· Captain Alison Gray (Auchtermuchty, Fife): Golf, crown green bowls, petanque pairs, Donor Run.
· Fraser Wilson (Glasgow): Volleyball, table tennis, 5km walk, 60m Sprint, Donor Run.
· Stephen Hendren (Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire): Golf, badminton, petanque pairs, Donor Run.
· Allan Gilmour (Stevenston, Ayrshire): Archery, Ten-pin bowling, crown green bowls, petanque pairs, Donor Run.
· Angela Docherty (Monifeith, Angus): Ten-pin bowling, petanque pairs, Donor Run.
· Lorraine Bowman (Bellshill, Lanarkshire): Ten-pin bowling, petanque pairs, Donor Run.
· Stevie Hall (Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire): Golf.
· Tony Collins (Edinburgh): Golf.
· Gordon Dewar (Scotstoun, Glasgow): Archery, petanque pairs, Donor Run
· Duncan Macaulay (Inverness, Highland): Badminton, petanque pairs, Donor Run.
Alison Gray - Auchtermuchty, Fife
Alison, 52, received a heart transplant at NHS Golden Jubilee following around 14 years of heart failure treatment.
The defibrillator she had fitted began ‘firing’, signalling that her heart was failing in 2022, and she was put on the routine transplant list.
She then became seriously ill and was moved on to the urgent list and required a balloon pump to stabilise her enough to be able to go through with her transplant procedure.
Veteran Alison has taken part in several UK, European and World Transplant Games said she is most looking forward to seeing others who will compete in their first transplant games this year in the team she helped create.
She is competing in golf, lawn bowls, petanque pairs and taking part in the Donor Run in Sheffield this year.
Alison said: “It’s been hard work, if I’m perfectly honest. It’s taken a lot of time and effort but I have to say the end result is exactly how I envisaged it.
“It’s all came together really well. At our golf day at St Andrews recently our colourful kits stood out and everyone was looking at us, and that’s what I was aiming for.
“To stand out, be vibrant and bright, which is what life is all about. I’m super excited about the whole event and I’m really curious to see members of the team enjoy the experience.
“I really hope they enjoy it as much as I have and get as much out of it as they can. The camaraderie amongst the team is amazing and we’ve got a really good team spirit so we’re all ready to go and enjoy it.”
Fraser Wilson - Glasgow
Fraser Wilson, 49, was 45 when he received his new heart. He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy when he was just 14. His mum and 3 uncles all died from the disease.
Fraser, an area director for a bank from Glasgow, was one of the 40 people to receive a heart transplant at NHS Golden Jubilee in 2024.
He said: “I’m competing in a few different sports, but I foolishly signed myself up for the 60-metre sprint as I’m the oldest in my age group so that’ll be challenging.
“It’s my third Games so it’s going to be extra special having our own team now and being part of that.
“We’ve got new people on the team, our own kit and a whole load of goodwill behind us so it’s going to be amazing this year representing the hospital that we got our new hearts.”
Angela Docherty - Monifeith, Angus
Angela Docherty, 59, is competing in petanque and ten-pin bowling in her first Games, and along with the rest of the team, will take part in the Donor Run.
Angela was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in her early 20s, as was her brother, and her father also received a heart transplant more than 20 years ago.
The condition worsened in her late 30s and she received several ablation procedures and had 2 pacemakers and a defibrillator fitted by the time she had her transplant when she was 46.
She said: “I never thought I’d compete in a sports team, but Alison is my friend and is pretty persuasive. She encouraged me to give it a shot.
“I’ve never been very sporty, but the team is more than that, it’s really sociable and you can do things that you find fun so, for me, the social side of it is what I really enjoy most.
“I’m really looking forward to the whole experience. My husband is coming down as a supporter and you meet lots of people, so I can’t wait to join up with everyone at the Games to celebrate life and organ donation.”
Gordon Dewar – Scotstoun, Glasgow
Former civil servant Gordon Dewar, 66, was 63 when he received his new heart at NHS Golden Jubilee.
He said: “I have no history of heart disease, neither did anyone in my family, and apparently I took 2 heart attacks a fortnight apart, but I just carried on as normal and thought it was indigestion and didn’t feel great.
“I called NHS24 who sent out a paramedic who said he thought I’d had a heart attack and then an ambulance came and I was taken to the Golden Jubilee.
“I was in theatre a couple of times trying to get it sorted, but my heart was really badly damaged and my only option was having a heart transplant, and that was the first time transplant was mentioned, but I was very happy to receive a new heart to enable me to live.”
Gordon will be competing in archery and petanque pairs and taking part in the Donor Run at the Games.
He added: “I’ve never been to the Games before so really looking forward to it. We have great support within the team and have social days out, as well as sports days.
“It’s good to talk to other people who’ve been through the same thing and share notes, because everyone’s experience is different, and I’ve been really fortunate everything has went well for me since my transplant.”
Stevie Hall – Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire
Stevie Hall, 68, received his new heart at NHS Golden Jubilee 4 years ago and is taking part in his first Games in Sheffield competing in golf.
He started having heart problems around 10 years before his procedure with chest pains and drove himself to Monklands Hospital in Coatbridge at 6am.
He’d had a “curry and a couple of pints” the previous evening and it was first thought it was indigestion, however, following an ECG and tests, he was told he was “going nowhere” as he had atrial fibrillation, and possibly cardiomyopathy.
His health began deteriorating and he was within a year he was admitted to Golden Jubilee University National Hospital where he received care and treatment for 9 years managing his condition.
He said: “My family moved to Dubai and we all thought one of my visits at Christmas would be my last, but after going to one of my clinics during Covid I was told to go home, pack some things and come back in as I needed a transplant.
“I wasn’t even fit enough to get the operation so I went on a balloon pump for a few months, but one Saturday night I was told the transplant was going ahead. Woke up on the Monday with a new heart.
“It was like night and day. I was very thin before, possibly 63kgs at one point when I was lying in the bed with the balloon pump, but everything went really well and the following week I was out.
“I remember a wee porter when I was going for my transplant asking me if I played sports and I said golf. He said ‘you’ll be playing in 6 weeks big man!’, but I didn’t believe him at the time.
“Here I am now, going to the Games for the first time. It is something I never ever thought I’d be doing. I was playing golf 6 weeks after my transplant and I have a handicap of 18 now so life is great.”
Allan Gilmour – Stevenston, Ayrshire
Allan Gilmour, 55, a former youth work manager and seed potato inspector for the Scottish Government at the time of his transplant, now living in Glasgow, was 44 when he received his new heart at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital.
He began suffering from chest pains and was admitted to the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital to have stents fitted.
However, in recovery on the ward, he went into cardiogenic shock and was put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and a balloon pump life support before getting a left ventricular assist device (LVAD).
He was in intensive for a few months before receiving his new heart in 2015.
Allan is competing in archery, lawn bowls, petanque pairs and taking part in the Donor Run.
He said: “I love the opening ceremony of the Games when you’re walking in with your team in your uniforms and the crowd is there all cheering, it’s just amazing.
“For me, the most poignant part is the Donor Run, which a lot of people, like myself, just walk. It’s in memory of all the organ donors, there’s camaraderie and emotion and you’re with friends and others who have received donor organs.
“It’s just a massive line of people in the distance, patients, families and supporters and you can’t even see the end of it there’s that many people and it raises the hairs on the back of your neck.”
Lorraine Bowman – Bellshill, Lanarkshire
Lorraine Bowman, a former midwife, received a heart transplant last year and is grateful for her second chance at life.
She was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a form of heart failure, when pregnant with daughter Hayley, who is now 34 and also a nurse.
Lorraine was actually on shift when the first heart transplant in Scotland took place at Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary in January 1992. It was also the time when Lorraine’s heart problems were first noticed.
The 60-year-old was also told it was not likely she would have any other children, but she and husband John went on to have son Jack 5 years later, and now have 2 grandchildren as well.
Lorraine will be competing in her first Games in ten-pin bowling, petanque pairs and taking part in the Donor Run.
She said: “I thought this would be a good experience for me to go down and support the team, but Alison convinced to actually take part so I’ll be doing the lighter sports.
“I feel it’s a bit surreal that I’ll be taking part in something like this, but I’m really looking forward to being part of the group.
“We are well prepared for it, it’s been a lot of organising to get to this stage. It’s like a real community we have and we support each other through everything like side effects from drugs and hear everyone’s journey to get here.
“Being with people who had transplants many years ago gives us all hope and inspiration and we can all learn from them about diet and exercise so there’s lots of different aspects to being in this group.”
Stephen Hendren - Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire
Stephen Hendren, 61, a retired accountant, was 53 when he received his new heart at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital.
Stephen had no history of heart issues, but needed a transplant after a virus called sarcoidosis “destroyed” his heart in the space of a few days.
He crashed his car driving into work one morning and was driven to Monklands Hospital where it was found he had a resting heart rate of 155.
He was in Monklands for 10 days before being rushed to the Golden Jubilee where he was told his heart was failing and he needed a transplant to survive and was put on the emergency list.
“It was pretty scary. I kept having cardiac arrests and became number 1 on the emergency transplant list in Scotland on the Wednesday. I was in theatre on the Saturday getting my transplant and was out of hospital within 4 weeks.
“My wound wouldn’t heal so I had to have plastic surgery and I had nurses in my room 24 hours a day for 7 days straight, checking my wound.
“I was in and out of hospital for months for different things and had more surgery on my wound, and it was over a year before I finally got the all clear and since then I’ve had no issues at all.”
Stephen is competing in golf, badminton, petanque pairs and taking part in the Donor Run at the Games in Sheffield.
He added: “It’s really good just being around people who have been through a similar experience, although everyone has a different journey and knows what you’ve been through.
“I always come back to the Golden Jubilee to visit the staff and bring them cake to say a little thanks for everything they’ve done for me, and what they do for others as well. I think they get a lot of cakes and chocolate.
“I am quite active and walk around 50 miles a week, 2-and-a-half hours every day. I know how fortunate I’ve been to receive a new heart and have been able to recover so I’m extremely grateful.
“You have to be thankful you can do this and try and help other people get through it as well.”
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