A Fife man whose life was saved by a lung transplant is to meet the family of the donor of his organs.
John Coyle, 47, had just months to live when he underwent a double lung transplant four years ago.
At Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, he was given the lungs of a 38-year-old man who died of a brain haemorrhage.
His donor was not on the organ donation register, but his family wanted his organs to be used to give others the chance of life.
Since his operation John, of Cowdenbeath, has corresponded regularly with his donor’s mother and sister and will meet them when he travels to their home city, Liverpool, to take part in the British Transplant Games later this month.
John said: “It will be nice to meet them but it doesn’t matter how many times I say thank you, it will never be enough.”
Despite setbacks in his recovery, health and safety advisor John has grabbed life with both hands and competed in several sporting events.
Some of the medals he has won he has dedicated to his donor, inscribing his name on the back and sending them to his loved ones.
John had suffered for years from asthma, COPD, chronic bronchiolitis and emphysema before a severe chest pain led to his diagnosis with pulmonary arterial hypertension in 2012.
Specialists told him a transplant was the only option and he was placed on the urgent waiting list.
He said: “Hearing the news was a huge shock, it was difficult to take in.
“I thought I’d be sent away and told to come back in a year’s time, but the doctors told me it was unlikely I’d see Christmas without a transplant.
“After two false alarms, I got the call in July and drove with my wife to Newcastle for the surgery.”
Following the operation, John was placed in an induced coma for nine days, spent three weeks in intensive care and another three on a ward.
He was treated for acute rejection twice, chronic rejection and pneumonia and in May had surgery to remove a cyst from his kidney.
But nine months after his transplant, John completed the West Highland Way.
He has since competed in the European Transplant Games in Lithuania, winning a silver medal in the 100m freestyle swimming and taking fourth place in the 5km run, and in two British games.
Having pulled out of more physical events including the cross-country and javelin due to his recent surgery, John is to compete in the darts competition in Liverpool.
It will be a special moment when he and wife Shirley meet his donor’s relatives.
John said: “I’ll be eternally grateful to my donor and his family.
“I’ll never be able to put into words what that decision, and my donor, has done for me.”
