There are double celebrations for Pembrokeshire sportsman Adam Hughes today (Wednesday) - his 27th birthday and the one-week anniversary of his kidney transplant.

Adam was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure last year following a high blood pressure reading at his local doctors’ surgery.

He has been on ten hours’ dialysis a night while on the kidney transplant list, and expected to have to wait at least three years.

But last Wednesday evening, Adam, of Tenby, received his new kidney after a hectic day which began with a 6am phone call from the University Hospital of Wales to tell him a potentially-suitable organ was on its way.

The transplant operation began at 3.30pm, and six hours later, his parents John and Linda and girlfriend Sabrina Revell were delighted to see Adam back on the ward.

“Everything went well, and the new kidney began working immediately,” said Mr Hughes. “The following morning, Adam was sitting up in a chair eating Rice Crispies

“It is, of course, early days, but the signs are very encouraging and we hope that everything works out in the long term.”

The night before going into hospital, Adam had bought a EuroMillions ticket, and his dad said: “He didn’t win the lottery, but his numbers certainly came up the following morning!”

Since being diagnosed, Adam had continued to work as a teaching assistant at Tenby’s Greenhill School - where he was a former head boy - in addition to managing Carew Football Club’s first team.

He also spearheaded fundraising for the Kidney Wales Foundation. Friends in Team Hughes raised over £3,000 by running the Cardiff half marathon last year, which won them an award from the organisation.

Adam’s sister Emma - a teacher in Beijing - raised more than £2,000 from a half marathon on the Great Wall of China and Adam hopes to run for the charity in the future.

He was one of three kidney patients who received transplants at the Cardiff hospital last week.

Said Mr Hughes: “They were amongst around 10,000 people in the UK waiting for a kidney transplant, and Adam is so fortunate to have been given one just 14 months after going on the waiting list.

“We are so grateful to the person who made the brave decision to donate their organs after their death. They have given Adam and a number of other people the chance of a new lease of life.”