Chris Madden, a Scots dad, suffered from agonizing headaches and was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a rare disease that caused kidney failure. After seven months of virtual consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was rushed to the hospital and started dialysis. A year later, a living donor gave him a life-changing kidney transplant. Now, Chris is an active member of the Scotland Transplant Football Team, preparing for the European Transplant Football Championship in 2025.
A Scots dad suffering from headaches was diagnosed with a rare germ-fighting disease that caused his kidneys to fail. Chris Madden, from Edinburgh, was fit and healthy prior to suffering from excruciatingly painful headaches which made him feel as though his skull would explode. After seven months of telephone appointments during Covid he was given a face-to-face GP appointment where it was found he has extremely high blood pressure.
The 44-year-old electrical engineer was rushed to the Royal Infirmary in August 2020 before being told his kidneys were functioning at four percent due to IgA nephropathy. The dad was told he would need to start dialysis right away while he awaited a potential transplant. Speaking to Edinburgh Live he said: “I was feeling unwell at the end of January 2020 and did not know why,” he said. “I got these really bad headaches but I could not see a doctor face to face because it was Covid. “I had some telephone consultations but they thought it could have been related to stress around working from home among other issues we were dealing with during the pandemic. But I got to the stage where I felt my head would explode in August 2020. “I saw a GP and they found my blood pressure was extremely high. From there I was sent to the high dependency at the Royal Infirmary where they discovered something was not right with my kidneys. 'I spent a week there and was told my kidneys were operating at a four percent function. My body was shutting down. Ultimately I needed a new kidney to allow my body to function again.” IgA nephropathy, a disease which is not yet fully understood yet leads to a germ-fighting protein called immunoglobulin A (IgA) building up in the kidneys and causing a loss of function. Due to his symptoms the dad often went to bed before his two children and described being completely exhausted after work. He explained: “I started dialysis straight away and had to get an emergency line in my chest as well as an arteriovenous fistula in my arm,” he continued. “I would get four hours of dialysis three days a week after work. “You are never running at full capacity on dialysis and are always struggling but it keeps you alive. You never really know if you will ever get off it and there is no real end date for when you might expect to receive an organ.” Chris was in limbo for just under a year, undergoing tests on his transplant suitability, before he received a call on June 24 2021 to tell him a living donor had come forward to gift him a life-changing kidney. He said: “I was ecstatic when they told me they had a kidney for me. I was in an unusual spot as most people get the call to say someone has passed away and you need to get in here in a matter of hours. “Since it was still during Covid time I was given a day to get myself sorted before I had to go into isolation for two weeks to make sure the operation could go ahead. There was a bit of doubt if it would materialize or if my body would reject it but after surgery I was told the kidney was in and functioning. “It was a beautiful moment. I could finally spend time with my family, my kids had their daddy back. It was such an amazing gift to receive from a stranger. Getting to read bed time stories to my kids again and put them to bed was amazing.' He continued: 'I got to meet the woman who donated her kidney. The rules mean they have to be anonymous at first but we were allowed to exchange letters through the hospital. Since we were both willing to speak to each other we were allowed to meet. It is something else that someone would selflessly give a kidney to a stranger. 'I wanted to let them know how they changed my life, it was pretty emotional stuff. When I met them I struggled to hold back the tears and I’m not an emotional person. My donor had done this beautiful thing without wanting any need of thanks or recognition.” Chris was able to start running again eight weeks after the operation and got in touch with the Scotland Transplant Team. He was able to meet other footballers from across the country who had also undergone transplants, whether receiving a kidney, liver or heart amongst others. Now an established member of the mixed sex, wide age ranging side and looking forward to April 2025 where he will compete in the European Transplant Football Championship in Oxford. The team, made up of around 20 players and growing, meet up once a month, with players coming from across the country, to train at Ravenscraig. They are looking to raise £395 per player in order to fund their travel and accommodation for the week as they seek to bring the trophy back to Scotland. Chris said: “Joining the team was fantastic. You don’t really hang out with other transplant patients in everyday life so it was good to meet people with the same experience who were willing to share their knowledge and relate. “To go through that major episode in your life of having an organ transplant is uniqu
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