Birmingham swimmer who had a liver transplant as a child picked for Great Britain at World Transplant Games

A young Birmingham swimmer who was given a new liver as a child has been selected to represent Great Britain at the World Transplant Games, and his family are now asking local businesses to help get him there.

Elijah Lockley, who swims for Boldmere and has represented Birmingham at the British Transplant Games, will compete for Great Britain at the World Transplant Games in Belgium in August 2027. The appeal was shared by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce on 9 November.

Eleven months on the waiting list

Elijah was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare and serious congenital liver disease, at the age of four. Surgeons at Birmingham Children's Hospital operated to preserve his own liver for as long as possible, which bought him several more years before a transplant became necessary.

By March 2019, when he was eight, his health was getting worse. He was placed on the transplant waiting list, and doctors found three tumours in his diseased liver. He received his new liver in February 2020.

His mother, Lisa Lockley, said: "For much of Elijah's life, his future has been uncertain. The eleven months he spent waiting for a liver transplant were an incredibly difficult and emotional time for our family."

"The transformation we have witnessed since he received the gift of a new liver has been nothing short of miraculous."

From the waiting list to the world stage

With his health restored, Elijah threw himself into swimming. Now he has the chance to race against transplant recipients from around the world.

"To see him now, healthy, happy and full of vitality, with the opportunity to represent Great Britain on the world stage at the World Transplant Games in Belgium in 2027, is something we could scarcely have imagined during those darkest days," his mother said.

"For us, this opportunity represents everything that organ donation makes possible. It saved our son, it saved our family, and it has given Elijah something we once feared he might never have: a future filled with possibilities."

How businesses can help

Taking part in the Games is entirely self-funded. The family is aiming to raise £6,000 to cover travel, accommodation, event fees and training.

Sponsors will be recognised across Elijah's social media throughout his journey, with their logo on sponsorship acknowledgements and promotional materials where appropriate, and a personal thank-you from Elijah. They will also receive reports before and after the Games, which the family says are suitable for sharing with staff in newsletters and briefings.

"By supporting him, they will not only be helping a young athlete fulfil an extraordinary ambition, but also helping us share a powerful message about the life-changing impact of organ donation," Lisa Lockley said.

Celebrating what transplants make possible

The World Transplant Games celebrate the success of transplantation, raise awareness of organ donation and showcase the achievements of transplant recipients from around the world, in sports from swimming and athletics to cycling and badminton.

Elijah's story is also a reminder of the difference donors and their families make. Anyone in England can record their decision about organ donation on the NHS Organ Donor Register and, just as importantly, tell their family what they have decided.