AN OXENHOPE teenager who underwent lifesaving surgery four years ago is taking part in his first Transplant Games.

Edward Hanson-Ratcliffe will be among more than 750 inspirational athletes from across the UK at the Westfield Health British Transplant Games, in North Lanarkshire.

The four-day event – which begins on Thursday (July 27) – will see the 17-year-old compete at table tennis, badminton, tennis, football and ten-pin bowling.

Edward had a transplant, thanks to a German donor, after his bone marrow failed in 2013.

"He's really excited about the Games – it will be a great experience for him," said his mum, Melanie.

"He loves his football and is fanatical about Bradford City.

"This passion helped him to recover and gave him a focus in life to pull through and follow his team to Wembley this year to watch them play their League One final."

Edward, who is also on the autism spectrum, will form part of a Leeds team competing in Scotland.

"With his learning difficulties life isn't easy for Edward generally and in 2013 he went from being a very healthy boy to needing blood transfusions three times a week and platelets weekly at Leeds General Infirmary until a bone marrow match could be found," said Mrs Hanson-Ratcliffe.

"We were told that without a transplant, Edward would only survive into his mid-twenties."

Neither of Edward's two brothers nor his parents provided a bone marrow match, and a search on the UK register was unsuccessful.

But the Anthony Nolan charity carried out an international check and found a perfect donor, Marcus Burckhardt, on the German register DKMS.

"Edward was very fortunate – four months on from his diagnosis he went into the LGI bone marrow transplant unit for the surgery," said Mrs Hanson-Ratcliffe.

"He did have some complications during the treatment and was moved urgently for three days to the intensive care unit, having contracted an infection causing pulmonary oedema, but thankfully he came round and recovered."

Edward met 30-year-old Marcus for the first time in May last year, at a DKMS event in Germany, when 30 selected donors and recipients were brought together.

And Marcus visited this country last August.

Across the UK, more than 7,000 people are awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant – and three die each day.

Jim McCabe, for the Games organising committee: "The Games were last held in Scotland ten years ago and it appears we really left a lasting impression, with many visitors then hailing it as one of the best ever.

"We hope that this year we can make an even bigger impact and sign more people onto the NHS organ donor register."

To register as a donor, visit organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23. People are urged to make their wishes known to family.

For more details about the bone marrow donor register, go to anthonynolan.org.