A special young man from East Ham won an inspirational sporting medal of his own in the British Transplant Games.

Langdon School pupil Murad Shaikh, 13, was awarded a bronze medal for the wheelchair 100m, and for taking part in table tennis and a tug of war in his third Games.

His sporting achievements are even more extraordinary considering he had a kidney transplant in 2008 at Evelina Children’s Hospital, based alongside the Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital in Westminster.

The last couple of years have proved difficult for Murad after he contracted an infection in the organ meaning he had to undergo another operation in January.

Murad still has to drink three litres of water a day and take medication three times a day to keep his kidney healthy but, despite the surgery and suffering from a rare form of anaemia, he returned to his studies at Langdon School in May and took part in the British Transplant Games.

A four day event beginnning on August 23, around 650 patients aged from three-years-old to over 70 took part in Maidstone, Kent and Murad competed alongside 90 other children in the Very Important Penguins (VIPs) team, named after the Transplant Clinic in the Penguin Zone of Evelina Children’s Hospital.

Gowhar Shaikh, Murad’s mother, told the Recorder: “It was so nice to see the children supporting each other.

“We didn’t know whether he was going to take part this year because of the operation but he just really wanted to do it.

“There are still a lot of people who need transplants out there and a lot of children don’t get them.

“Murad’s had some friends pass away because of it so these Games are a real highlight for them.”

Murad has had a busy year as he also went on stage with his favourite Asian singer Abrar ul Haq at the Troxy Club on June 29 where he also met Simon Cowell and sang with X Factor boyband JLS on YouTube.

Next year, the 36th British Transplant Games will be held in Sheffield and the team at the Evelina Children’s Hospital are looking for sponsors as it costs �900 for each competitor to take part.

To find out more about fundraising for Evelina Children’s Hospital, call 020 7848 4701 or visit www.togetherwecan.org.uk/guys-thomas-hospitals.