Transplant patients take on medics in football game

Players have received life-changing organ or stem cell transplants at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, organisers said

Organ transplant recipients and medical staff have taken to the field to play a football match in aid of charity.

The game at the Alexander Stadium raised funds for University Hospitals Birmingham Charity and the Birmingham Transplant Football Club (BTFC) - whose players have all received organ or stem cell transplants.

The contest was a sporting way to thank the donors and the medical professionals for their life saving work.

Organisers said that while scores were not the focus of the day, the teams played three matches, winning one game apiece, before the decider saw the BTFC squad take top honours, with a 3-1 victory.

Jaspal Matharu, who had a kidney transplant in 2014, said it was a "special day" and showed that life can carry on after a transplant.

"Today is extremely special for people like us, we've had a life donor organ transplantation and we just want to pay our respects to the people who obviously gave it to us," he said.

"Going forward we just want everyone to know that we want to promote organ donation and it's just something we can give back and show people that there is life after transplant."

Jaspal Matharu had a kidney transplant in 2014 and said the match was an example of how life goes on after surgery like that

He joked that it had been a "fierce competition" against the hospital staff, but overall it was an enjoyable day out for families.

The game was held during Organ Donation Week and transplant consultant Adnan Sharif said he worked within kidney transplantation and more people needed to donate.

'Celebrates organ donation'

"To do transplants you need people to donate organs and that's either living donors.... or donation after death," he said.

"What this week does is shows the benefits of transplantation and what people who receive a lifesaving transplant can do, but it also reinforces the message that we need organ donors.

"It's a week that really celebrates organ donation."

He said it was great to see the "big family" come together with people who have had heart, lung, liver and kidney transplants taking part.

Transplant consultant Adnan Sharif said urged more people to donate