One of the longest surviving kidney transplant patients in Wales has died, more than 40 years after receiving what he always described as ‘the gift of life’.

Abergavenny born Paul Silcox, pictured above, who moved to Bwlch 17 years ago with wife Claire and their two children, was just 21 when he was diagnosed with kidney failure.

Within months a Portakabin was set up in the garden of his parent’s home in Park Crescent to house a vital dialysis machine which Paul was to use three times week for the next two years until the fateful day on March 22, 1977 when he received the call offering him the change of a life-saving transplant.

Paul was rushed to Cardiff Royal Infirmary by police car and at 6.30pm that day his life changed for ever when he received a new kidney.

“I remember lying in bed after my operation when a guy who previously had a kidney transplant told me to not look so worried, I’d soon be on my feet. He said he’d had his operation 11 years ago. I remember thinking with a big smile on my face, “He’s had 11 years! I’d be over the moon if I got two years of being able to live a normal life,” said Paul.

In the four decades following his surgery, life was anything but normal for Paul who despite huge highs, battled the lows of lymphoma, four bouts of sepsis, and prostrate cancer.

Determined to claim back his life after his transplant, one of the first things Paul did after returning home to Abergavenny was to buy a tracksuit and turn to his uncle Ray Hardee for help with regaining full fitness.

“It was like being given a new lease of life. As soon as I returned home from the hospital I noticed the difference. I could walk up the stairs in one go, whereas as before I had to stop and catch my breath…I now felt that after a long, long time I was finally starting to live.”

With coaching advice from Ray, Paul began a training regime of jogging and weight training which caught the attention of a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary, who asked if he would be interested in being one of their team of eight to compete in the first ever Transplant Olympics taking place in Portsmouth.

The decision was to prove a pivotal moment in Paul’s life as he not only personally excelled at the event to bring home a silver medal in the 100 metres, but hit the headlines in the dramatic 3 x 50 metres relay, when he stormed from fourth to first in the last stage to secure a gold and overall third place for the Cardiff Royal Infirmary team.

Following the Games, Paul joined Torfaen Running Club where he trained alongside a young Colin Jackson and where he competed for the first time against athletes from running clubs all over Wales

“The confidence that competing outside of a Transplant Games event on such an equal footing gave me was inspiring, and from that moment on the momentum just kept on building.”

In a symbolic gesture Paul turned the Portakabin that had housed his kidney machine into a gym, trained even harder, and in the years to come enjoyed a career in athletics that took him as far afield as New York, Athens, Amsterdam, and Budapest, to represent Great Britain in the World Transplant Games.

During his time on the track, Paul won 40 medals - over half of which are gold. He is also renowned for the distinction of being the only man in the world to win a medal in every Transplant Games event for an amazing 15 years in succession.

Despite his success Paul never forgot or took for granted the importance of organ donation and how even through death, life can be give anew thanks to the humanity and kindness of others.

More than 30 after his transplant he discovered that his donor was a 12-year-old boy who had been knocked off his bicycle by a car and killed.

“His parents gave the hospital permission to take his kidney and I was called in,” revealed Paul in an interview with The Abergavenny Chronicle.

“When I heard this I was absolutely shell-shocked. All this time I had believed I was carrying the kidney of a victim from an airplane crash, when it fact it had belonged to a young boy with his whole life ahead of him and two loving parents.”

By the time he received this news Paul had hung up his running shoes and found a new passion in music and in tribute to the youngster, alongside his wife and musician Christopher Llangworthy he penned a song called ‘The Gift of Life,’ which he was set to perform with Brecon Male Voice Choir.

Yet just as the song which was to raise funds for Kidney Research UK was about to be recorded, disaster struck and the father-of-three was diagnosed with lymphoma.

After gruelling treatment, which included giving up the immuno-supressing drugs which prevented his body rejecting his kidney, Paul slowly began on the long journey to recovery and was able to fulfil his dream of performing on stage at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a Channel Four documentary about the Big C Choir - a 32 strong group of people who had all been diagnosed with cancer.

Described by doctor as a medical miracle Paul faced his latest battle in 2016 when at the age of 63 he was dealt the devastating news that he had prostrate cancer…and that this time it was terminal.

Speaking at the time Paul said, “The chemotherapy will hopefully contain it but it won’t cure it. I refuse to feel sorry for myself though. You’ve go to deal with what’s in front of you and there’s no point dwelling on the past.”

“When I was active in athletics, it was instilled in me to never give in and never to quit. As a runner I look at things like a marathon. The going is tough, the way is hard, but I’m a survivor and I’ll keep on going no matter what obstacles are thrown in my path.”

An inspiration to so many, Paul Silcox died at University Hospital, Cardiff on Monday, February 7. He leaves behind his wife, Claire, children Cari, Olivia and Will and a grandson Reuben

Paul’s funeral will take place at St Gasty’s Church, Llangasty on February 22, 2022 at noon (subject to confirmation).

“The number 22 has great significance for Paul as he was born on the 22nd, had his transplant on the 22nd and his eldest daughter was born on 22nd, so it is fitting that his funeral should take place on that date,” said his wife Claire.