PUPILS in Port Talbot were so thrilled to find out one of their own had been chosen for international hon- ours they decided to help him on his way.
Kieran Heycock will travel from Port Talbot to Sweden with his family this summer after being selected to represent the UK at the World Transplant Games.
The sports-mad 14-year-old, who lives in Bryn, was born with a kidney condition that would have progressively worsened had his mum Sarah not stepped in and donated one of her kidneys.
Kieran had his operation just before his 10th birthday in 2006 and, after triumphing in national games, has secured a place with the UK swimming team which is set to compete in the games in Gothenburg in June.
Now his friends at Dyffryn Comprehensive School have rallied round to raise �1,200 towards the �6,000 the Heycock family needs to come up with to make the trip.
The idea came from the school's Interact Club. Christine Harris, the teacher who runs it, said: "The pupils decided they wanted to raise money for Kieran. The idea came from them.
"They were so thrilled he is doing this and they wanted to do what they could to help.
"We like to support charities of the children within the school and when we found out Kieran was going to the games it was just perfect."
The money came from a non-uniform day, which also included a talent show, along with a raffle and a guess the sweets in the jar competition.
Mrs Harris added: "We are so proud of Kieran. We are thrilled for him. He's a lovely boy, very humble and unassuming. In fact it was only through the stories in the Evening Post that we found out about it."
The youngster, who was on medication all his life, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease when Sarah was 19 weeks pregnant.
One of the most common inherited kidney diseases, it is associated with a fall in kidney function which, over the years, can result in failure. The only alternative to a transplant is haemodialysis, a process whereby a machine cleanses the blood of waste and water.
But since his transplant, Kieran, who lives with Sarah, dad Dean and younger brothers Ian, aged 11, and 9-year-old Ben, has gone from strength to strength. He bagged a load of medals at the British Transplant Games, leading to his international selection.
"I think what the school is doing is absolutely fantastic," said Sarah. "Kieran is very shy about it anyway, but when the pupils approached their teachers and said they wanted to help after reading about him in the paper, he was really delighted.
"We have to pay around �6,000 to go to the games and we have said we want to try to raise as much of it as we can.
"With the money from the school we are already up to about �2,000, which is brilliant."
paul.lewis@swwmedia.co.uk
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