Strength, survival and the Sahara – Fraser’s epic heart transplant journey
When Fraser Wilson received a life-saving heart transplant at the NHS Golden Jubilee, he never imagined that a few years later he would be trekking more than 110 kilometres across the Sahara Desert.
But that’s exactly what he did – turning his second chance at life into an extraordinary adventure, joining a group of 90 trekkers from Lloyds Banking Group where he works to raise funds for Crisis, the homelessness charity.
Fraser has genetic Cardiomyopathy and was one of a Scottish record number of 40 people to receive a heart transplant in 2023 by the team in the Scottish National Advanced Heart Failure Service (SNAHFS) based at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital in Clydebank.
Fraser’s cousin Louise Campbell, from Wishaw, also has genetic cardiomyopathy and, amazingly, they were both 45 when they had heart transplants at the Golden Jubilee.
His Sahara challenge began with a flight to Marrakech, followed by a gruelling 10-hour minibus journey over the Atlas Mountains to the starting point and, from there, the group spent four full days and two half days trekking through one of the harshest environments on earth.
Fraser, from Glasgow, who works as an area director for his bank, admits the trek was a huge physical and mental challenge, but his training and determination paid off.
He said: “The hardest part mentally was walking in the middle of nowhere with no landmarks to aim for. I was walking in a group of 30 and our camaraderie kept us all going – we sang, talked, laughed and stomped our way through the desert in consistently high spirits.
“It was a really emotional journey, especially when we were welcomed into camp on the last night at the end of another long day’s trekking – there were a lot of tears, hugs and relief from everyone in the group and the feeling of elation was palpable.
“I can still see the desert when I close my eyes and the memories of this once in a lifetime challenge will live with me forever.”
Fraser admits he was nervous about the trek due to doubts about being able to cope with the trek and whether it would affect his health adversely.
He added: “My fears were completely unfounded because the trek was so well organised by Charity Challenge that we had first aiders and doctors walking with us and amazing support throughout.
“Everybody on the trek had their own personal motivation for being there. Mine was to challenge myself physically and mentally, to achieve something that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do - and definitely wouldn’t have been able to do pre-transplant -as well as to raise as much money as I could for Crisis.
“I got the chance to share my transplant story and the benefits of organ donation to everyone I spoke to. There was an overwhelming feeling of support from the group and the number of people who said it had changed their minds and educated them about organ donation, so hopefully it’s had a positive effect on them from that point of view.
“This trek has energised me. I feel like I can do anything now.”
NHS Golden Jubilee has been the sole provider of Scottish heart transplants since 2008 and has now carried out 271 within the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital.
The service has carried out 32 heart transplants so far this year (from 1 April 2025), while 29 Scottish patients received the life-saving treatment the previous year.
Julie Smith is a Transplant Nurse at NHS Golden Jubilee and helps the SNAHFS team provide lifelong care for Scottish heart transplant patients.
She said: “As Scotland’s only adult heart transplant centre, we see the life-changing impact of organ donation has every single day.
“Behind every transplant is a story of hope, people who are living full lives today thanks to the generosity of donors and their families and Fraser’s brave and inspirational exploits show that lives are not just saved, but they are also improved.
“It’s a massive team effort to get patients well again and they become part of our family, but none of it would be possible without the donors and their families and for that we are all extremely grateful.”
Fraser has smashed his fundraising target of £4,000, his total now sitting at almost than £11,500.
Fraser’s fundraising page is open until the end of February and, if you feel inspired by his story, you can help him raise even more on the link below:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/fraser-sahara
For more information on organ donation, visit: www.organdonation.scot
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