Wiping tears from his face, a former Manchester United star spoke of a sacrifice that can so often happen without fanfare – but is a vital second chance at life for those who find themselves urgently needing it. “Maybe if you came to me five years ago, I would have said something totally different.
But for me the past two years has changed so much. This illness knocked me off my feet,” admitted Andy Cole, the ex-Manchester United striker, back in a candid interview in 2018. "I found it really difficult to cope, after being as fit as I was.
There is no hell like it." The former England international was opening up about a devastating mystery virus he contracted on return from a trip to Vietnam in 2015.
The illness was so catastrophic he was left needing a kidney transplant – and desperate for help. Now, seven years after miraculously finding a match for a transplant in his nephew, Andy is fronting a new initiative to encourage more people to consider living kidney donation.
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