A patient has shared how his life has changed since receiving an urgent liver transplant in Edinburgh.
John Mortimer, 64, was first diagnosed with liver disease and cirrhosis of the liver in 2016 after he suddenly collapsed at the side of the road.
A 'social' drinker and a member of the merchant navy for 28 years, John gave up drinking just three months after being told he would require a liver transplant.
READ MORE - Popular Edinburgh walkway finally reopens after nine years with new makeover
Rapidly declining following his diagnosis, John had eagerly awaited the call to come to Edinburgh from his Falkirk home for the operation, with the lifesaving surgery finally taking place February 2019.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, John said: "I found out in December 2016, I'm diabetic and was walking home and I ended up collapsing on the street, some kind people called an ambulance and they wanted to take me to hospital but I declined.
"Then the next week the same thing happened again and this time I did go to hospital, they did a lot of tests and told me I had sclerosis of the liver. It was a downward journey from there, I started really suffering and was seeing a lot of consultants.
"They were speaking to me about it but it did take about three months for me to stop drinking, and I haven't had a drink since.
"Six weeks later I got a call and they said there was a liver for me so I went through to Edinburgh at around 10pm, the liver arrived at around 5am but the surgeon looked at it and wasn't happy with it so I got sent home. At this point I was really going downhill rapidly, I was also suffering from conditions because of the toxins that effect things like your memory.
"11 months later it was February 2019 and I got the call to say come to Edinburgh again so I did, I had the transplant and I haven't looked back, things have been really good since then."
Seeing huge improvements following the surgery, John was given some shocking news just weeks after the operation that his old liver had in fact been cancerous.
Taken aback by the results from the surgeons, John explained that if the transplant had not taken place when it did, he would have had just months to live.
He added: "It was six weeks later I was back in and they said they wanted to speak to me about my own liver that was removed. They said when they removed it they found five cancerous tumours on it, if I hadn't had a transplant then and had it out I would have been given six months to live.
"It's quite frightening when someone says that you did have cancer, but the surgeons assured me all of it was removed."
Now working to support others in similar situations and raise awareness of liver disease, John will be volunteering with the Love your Liver screening unit on its tour of the UK.
Arriving in Edinburgh on May 17 at the Mound Precinct, the screening and scanning unit will be able to assess their risk of getting liver disease, find out what preventative measures they can taken and be offered a free liver scan.
John said:"I've been doing a lot of community work, I'm back at college doing my HNC for two and a half years, and I've also been going into the Edinburgh Royal to do peer support at the transplant unit talking to people in the same place as I was.
"I think the screening unit is really important because a lot of people when you ask them, there is still a stigma around liver disease and alcohol, so many people don't understand how many varieties there are and how many people get it. They don't know how big an organ the liver is and how important it is in everyday life, so it's fantastic to see things like this going on."
Anyone wishing to take advantage of the Love your Liver event should attend between 10am and 4pm. If you wish to be scanned please arrive early as places are limited.
If you can’t attend the event you can still find out if you are at risk and check your liver health online by doing the online screening test at https://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/screener
