Member of family finally free of inherited kidney condition to celebrate at British Transplant Games
12 March 2026
A kidney transplant recipient whose family is now free of an inherited disease which has affected several generations of her relatives says this year’s British Transplant Games will be a celebration of life.
Bridey Greenway, 68, will be taking part in her 19th games in Sheffield in August, alongside thousands of other transplant recipients, donors and their families and supporters.
Bridey had a successful kidney transplant at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield in 1999 after she went into kidney failure due to the inherited condition Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and is still under the care of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust now, returning for regular checks.
Several generations of her family, including her mother and her son, have suffered from the condition with 16 in total undergoing transplants and some tragically dying from kidney failure.
However, her grandchildren don’t have the condition which means it is finally gone from the family.
A seasoned transplant games competitor, that means that this year’s home games will hold an extra special significance.
Bridey, who will compete for Team Sheffield, said: “These athletes have all won the fight for life, now it is about showing that they are living life.”
PKD is a genetic disorder that causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys, which can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure.
The first member of the family now known to have PKD was Bridey’s grandfather, Bill Smith, although it is believed previous generations were also affected due to dying young, but were unaware of the cause. In the Second World War, Bill served in North Africa, from where he was sent home with kidney failure which at the time was put down to drinking contaminated water. Bill had eight children, all of whom had PKD, but didn’t know at the time.
The genetic condition was passed down the generations of the family, including to Bridey’s mother, Kathleen, who went into kidney failure and died when Bridey was 14.
Bridey herself underwent a transplant when she was 42, as did her son Adam, when he was 30. He received a kidney from one of his closest friends.
Bridey said: “My mum went into kidney failure when I was 12 and I saw her die from it. Of course, I was scared that would happen to me and Adam would see me die, but thanks to advances in medicine I had a different experience.
“I was devastated when I heard Adam had it, but I didn’t want him to experience what I had with my mum. He saw me have my treatment and continue living life. He said he didn’t have any fears because of how I was able to deal with it.
“His two children have not inherited the PKD gene, so it is finally gone from the family. I never thought I’d see that because it has dominated the family, and so I get quite emotional about it. I’m so proud to be part of this family because we’ve been so strong through all of it, we’ve kept a sense of humour and got on and lived our lives.”
She said that the family was forever grateful to the donors and their families that had enabled them to have transplants.
“What they have done is wonderful. When I had my transplant, it worked straight away and I immediately felt better. The care from the team at Sheffield has always been brilliant and still is. Previously I had been having dialysis three times a week. Six days after my transplant my fifth grandchild was born, and two more grandchildren were born after Adam had his transplant. I now have seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren and have the enjoyment of seeing them all grow up. It is such a gift to be able to live a full life.”
As well as the British Transplant Games, Bridey has competed in four world games in France, Thailand, Australia and Spain. She has won multiple medals in her main sport of swimming, but also in ten-pin bowling and archery.
“There is nothing like the games, it is so uplifting, everyone has a story to tell and I’ve made friends across the country. It’s not about winning the medals - although that is nice - or being an elite athlete, it is being there and being able to do it. If you have the chance to take part, just go and experience it. It’s a celebration of life and it is brilliant that it is coming back to Sheffield.”
The British Transplant Games take place in Sheffield from 6-9 of August. It will see about 3,000 people celebrate life after transplantation across 24 sports. To find out more visit www.transplantactive.co.uk
If you have received a kidney transplant or stem cell transplant at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and want to find out more about being part of the Sheffield team at the British Transplant Games, please contact sheffieldgames@saka.org.uk or call 0114 478 4781 and leave a message and we will get back to you
To find out more about becoming an organ donor, visit https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/
Photos:
- Bridey Greenway
- Kathleen Kerr (Bridey’s mother)
