A boy with a heart transplant has embraced the Olympic spirit at a special Games - returning with a bronze medal.
Joshua Dawson, 13, of Marymead Drive, Stevenage has not let a heart transplant at two-and-a-half prevent him from becoming a multi-discipline athlete.
The Barnwell School pupil competed at the British Transplant Games at the weekend in the 100 metre sprint, long jump, obstacle course and ball throw, as well as taking bronze in the badminton contest.
The annual competition, which began in 1978, took place in Kent with 600 children and adults representing the hospitals where they had transplants of different kinds.
Joshua, who takes a tablet daily to prevent rejection of his heart and recently had a pace maker fitted, said he loves the event, which he has attended four years running, bringing home a haul of medals.
“Its being with people who are like me,” he said. “You make friends with other teams and find out what they’ve been through.
“There are some things I can’t do, but I try to do things as best as I can.”
His mum, Tanya said Joshua wants to promote organ donation to help save others like himself.
“He wants to make people aware of how hard it is to get a heart transplant,” she said. “We were lucky when he had his. Donation really does save lives.”
To support Joshua’s fundraising efforts for Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he has a check up every three months, go to www.justgiving.com/JoshuaDawson
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