I was dying, and without a transplant that would have been the end...

Ray Sherry came face to face with the family of the liver donor who saved his life when they came to support him at the British Transplant Games. Bryana Francis reports

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A SOUTH Wales man has spoken of his poignant meeting with the family of the 20-year-old whose liver he was given during a lifesaving transplant four years ago.

Ray Sherry, 61, came face to face with the family a couple of weeks ago when they came to support him at the British Transplant Games.

"There was this instant connection when I saw them. It was just a really uplifting and happy moment because they saw that in the tragedy of losing their son someone had gone on to do something good with their life," Ray said.

Ray, who works for Natural Resources Wales, found out he had primary sclerosing cholangitis in 2005 and spent 16 years suffering with the symptoms of a failing liver, knowing one day he would require a full liver transplant.

Towards the end of 2020 Ray's symptoms got worse and he began suffering with severe jaundice.

"My condition was deteriorating, effectively I was dying, and without a transplant that would've been the end for me."

After having a transplant assessment and experiencing one false alarm where he spent all day in London waiting for a transplant, Ray received the phone call which would change his life on March 3, 2021, at 7.30am.