By Nick Bramhill
A KILDARE MAN, who received a life-saving kidney donation from his brother, admits that lining up for the Dublin Marathon this weekend will be one of the most emotional experiences of his life.
Robbie England received the "ultimate gift of life" three years ago when it was discovered his older sibling had the perfect match for his rapidly-deteriorating organ.
Up to then, the prognosis for Robbie - who was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2005, at the age of 20 - looked progressively and worryingly grim.
In 2019 his kidney function had plummeted to such a low level that he began dialysis - an eight-hour nighttime routine that would continue for a further three years, as his medical team desperately looked for a match for his failing organ.
in 2022 the Naas native's prayers were finally answered when older brother Mark, 45, was found to have the perfect match, enabling the life-saving transplant to take place at Beaumont Hospital.
Naas couple Robbie and Gillian England celebrate the christening of their son, Conor.
From left to right: Melissa England, 46 (wife of Mark England); Gillian England, 37, Conor England (4-months-old in the photo, now two); Robbie England, 39; Mark England, 45, & Fr. Liam Morgan.
To say the 39-year-old accountant's life has been transformed since his successful transplant would be a huge understatement. Just over two years ago he and his wife Gillian, 37, celebrated the birth of their first child, Conor - a milestone Robbie believes would not have been possible prior the surgery.
And last year the re-energised, sports-loving father-of-one had more reason to celebrate, after taking a silver medal for Ireland in badminton at the European Transplant Games in Lisbon.
So it's little wonder Robbie expects to be full of emotion on Sunday morning when he lines up for the Irish Life Dublin Marathon on behalf of the Irish Kidney Association.
And despite it being his first-ever marathon, he proudly points out that it'll be the second time his new kidney has covered the grueling distance - as his donor brother Mark ran the same event back in 2006.
He said: "It's hard to put into words what taking part in this marathon means to me. It's a reminder of just how fortunate I've been. I was not in a good place before I started dialysis in 2019. My kidney function had gone down to just 10 per cent, and I was very tired all the time and had brain fog.
"It's very hard to get the right match, and lots of people aren't as lucky as I was. The blood type and tissue type need to be the same, and I'm 6ft 6inches in height, which made it trickier, too. But luckily for me, Mark's organ was the perfect match, and he literally gave me the gift of life.
"I can never repay him for what he's done, but I was very proud to ask him and his wife, Mel, to be godparents to our son, Conor.
"The last three years since the transplant I have felt healthier than ever and full of energy, and Gillian and I are looking forward to welcoming our second baby into the family early next year. None of this would have been possible without the transplant."
He added: "I hope by running the marathon to raise awareness of how important organ donation is. It'll hopefully encourage more people to have the conversation about becoming an organ donor. I was very lucky to have a brother who was a match, but not everyone can be as lucky as me."
For details on how to donate to Robbie's campaign, check out
Over 22,500 participants have registered to take part in Sunday's Irish Life Dublin Marathon, which is now in its 44th year.
