TEENAGE athlete Lewis Brimble has returned triumphant from the World Transplant Games in Argentina.

The 15-year-old Bournemouth School pupil swept aside the opposition to win gold in the badminton singles competition.

Lewis was one of the youngest in the group so was particularly pleased to receive the medal in front of his proud mum, Su, and 13-year-old sister, Jaz.

Su told the Daily Echo: "Lewis was selected to represent Team GB following his success in the British Transplant Games last year. He played against competitors from around the world, including those from Canada and Hong Kong as well as other Brits."

Lewis, who has just started Year 11, hopes to succeed in GCSEs and A levels before going on to study medicine at university.

Lewis was diagnosed with MPGN, a life-threatening kidney disease, when he was nine-years-old. He spent two years undergoing gruelling dialysis before receiving a transplant from his mum, Su, in 2011.

His condition is again deteriorating but the NHS has refused to fund life-saving treatment because it is so expensive.

Su is fighting the decision to refuse the drug Eculizumab and more than 140,000 have signed an online petition to support the family.

The petition is available at change.org/lewis-brimble where Lewis gives details of his plight.

He said: "In March 2013, after 15 months, I found out that my disease had come back and that there was damage to my transplanted kidney. Since then I have been slowly deteriorating. My doctors have made it clear that there is only one drug, Eculizumab, that can stop my disease from getting worse and forcing me to go back to a nightmare half-life on dialysis.

"I know it is a very pricey drug but I need it. Life on dialysis is not really a life at all, merely an existence. Whilst I was on it, I got nauseous all the time and needed feeding through a tube. I had excruciatingly painful headaches constantly and I hardly ever got to go to school. I can’t go back to that."

Su said she remains in consultation with experts in the bid to fight the NHS decision.

The World Transplant Games is the largest organ donor awareness event in the world, featuring a week of 13 sporting events. Team Great Britain and NI joined more than 800 other transplant athletes from 44 countries across the globe.

• Go to organdonation.nhs.uk to find out more information, or contact the Organ Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23, or text SAVE to 62323