Disabled man desperate for transplant to end daily agony

Stephen Martin is battling chronic kidney failure, after being born with Polycystic kidney disease, which leaves him in constant pain.

The 43-year-old, from Clydebank, is now planning a metal music gig in Glasgow to raise awareness of his condition and help him fight it.

While he isn’t asking anyone directly to offer him an organ, he is highlighting how to become a live donor.

Stephen Martin uses music to help him face his health issues (Image: Colin Mearns)

Stephen said: “Things with my health getting worse to the point I am scared about the future if I don’t get a transplant.

“My best chance is by getting a live donor but I am not allowed to ask people directly if they would be interested.

“I decided to put on a concert to help raise awareness about the condition, it felt right because music has really helped me get through everything.

“The pain is really bad, my kidneys have swollen to about four times their size and have cysts which are agony when they rupture.

“I have lost a lot of weight because I can’t eat very much anymore, it affects every part of my life."

The gig will be held at Ivory Blacks on Friday, September 13 with five bands taking part and tickets costing £5.

Money raised at the event will go towards helping Stephen get to and from hospital to carry out vital treatment for his condition.

He requires dialysis three times a week which he attends by using his Universal Credit to pay £150 a week on taxis, leaving him with just £20.

Stephen Martin pictured at home in Clydebank. (Image: Colin Mearns)

The festival is open to the public (Image: Sourced)

Stephen said: “I can no longer fulfil my dream of being in a band full time because of my health.

“I have epilepsy and am partially paralysed because of a bad seizure I had, it left me in a coma and I had to learn how to walk again.

“It makes working hard so I rely on Universal Credit which isn’t very much.

"I am using most of it on taxi’s to get to the hospital for treatment, so I have about £20 left a week after that.

“I am using tickets from the show to help pay for travel to relieve the pressure a bit.”

Alison Railton, head of policy and external affairs at Kidney Research UK said: “There are an estimated 7.2 million people in the UK currently living with chronic kidney disease.

“When kidney disease progresses to kidney failure, life-changing treatment options have to be considered.

“Many patients have no option but to receive gruelling dialysis whilst they join the 6,205 people currently waiting for a kidney transplant.

“The average waiting time for a donor kidney is around two years, but a living donor who is a good match can considerably reduce the waiting time.”

The event is open to the public at 7pm with tickets avaliable at the door.