A MIRACLE Greenock man is celebrating five years since his second life-saving kidney transplant and helping patients right across the United Kingdom.

Inspirational grandad Ewen Maclean, 67, was devastated when he suffered organ failure and was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease 34 years ago.

Despite years of dialysis, an initial transplant and also personal tragedy he has continued to devote his life to inspiring others through Kidney UK.

As an advocacy worker with the charity he reaches out to people who are newly diagnosed and in need of support as they face a lifetime of treatment.

The former Tele production worker was a superfit young dad when he was dealt the devastating blow that he was suffering from renal failure.

Now Ewen is helping to champion a pioneering new world-leading study that will help change many more lives.

Ewen said: "I was out running every day of my life and I was fit.

"I had never been ill.

"I then started to get headaches and ended up in hospital.

"They carried out tests and I was told I had polycystic kidney disease.

"I thought my life was over."

The dad-of-two was told by doctors he had the inherited disease on Christmas Eve 1987 and his young family faced a hugely uncertain time.

Soon after Ewen had to give up his job as a compositor at the Tele, as he faced ten hour-long days of gruelling dialysis.

But then he got the chance of a transplant that would give him a new lease of life.

Ewen said: "I had 17 relatively trouble-free years when life was pretty normal."

But as his new kidney started to fail Ewen found himself seriously ill again and needed a second new organ.

He said: "My heart was giving up.

"I had my second transplant and I have my ups and down but I am feeling okay and still working full-time."

Ewen is marking five years since his transplant and says the date will be etched in his mind forever.

He said: "The anniversary of my second transplant is more important to me now than my actual birthday.

"I have had a relatively trouble-free five years and long may it continue.

"I always think about my donors, both of them, because without them I wouldn't be alive or have the life I now lead."

Greenock dad-of-two Ewen has also faced tragedy, losing his first wife suddenly 11 years ago.

Then two years ago his son Barry passed away suddenly.

But he has fought through all his difficulties and continues to use his own experiences to support others through his job.

He said: "I speak to patients in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

"When they are first diagnosed they are devastated but I can show them that there is hope."

Ewen paid a moving tribute to the doctors in the renal unit at Inverclyde Royal who he says do an incredible job.

He said: "The whole renal team at the IRH are fantastic, Dr Mun Woo and the team are incredible.

"They've become like family, I see them all the time."

Mr Maclean has now teamed up with kidney transplant consultant Dr Emma Aitken at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to help with a pioneering study to improve treatment for those on dialysis.

As part of a kidney patient's treatment they have to create a fistula, an access point in the arm, where medical teams try to make a 'super-vein', to allow the dialysis machine access to the blood supply.

Medical procedures to establish a fistula can often have mixed results.

Ewen said: "I’ve had terrible times with my fistula and it’s nobody’s fault, it’s just that they can fail.

“As a new patient, you are constantly checking your arm to make sure the fistula is still working and careful not to lift anything too heavy with your fistula arm in case you damage it.”

Now doctors in Glasgow are launching a UK-wide study to try to maximise the success of fistulas, improve care for patients and increase life-expectancy.

Dr Aitken added: "Fistulas are the best way of getting dialysis, but the big downfall is that not every fistula works and, therefore, many patients need more than one operation,

“You’re essentially trying to turn a vein into an artery and veins don’t like being arteries.

"We want to make dialysis care better and hopefully make people live longer.

"That could be globally important and change practice.”

Many people have to spend the rest of their lives on dialysis because they are not always able eligible for a transplant.

Ewen, who now lives in Largs with his second wife Sandra and pet dog Pedro, said: “Getting a transplant is life and hope, but while you’re on dialysis a fistula is the best option.

"Making them better will make a huge difference.”