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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Jon Brady

Rangers fan 'speechless' after surprise invite from Allan McGregor after kidney transplant

A lifelong Rangers fan currently undergoing a kidney transplant was left lost for words after being invited to tour Ibrox by Allan McGregor.

Ciaran Calderwood, who suffers from Alport syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes kidney disease, received a new kidney at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow last month.

The 27-year-old is now recovering from the major operation at home in Kilmarnock and was left gobsmacked when he received a letter in the post from the goalie wishing him a speedy recovery, reports the Daily Record.

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Included in the letter was a signed picture of McGregor and an invitation to tour the team's Glasgow stadium when he has recovered.

Ciaran said: "I think my mum did it as a surprise because I love Rangers. I've followed them since I was wee.

"I used to have a season ticket and go to all the games but my health stopped that. When I opened the envelope I just couldn't believe it - speechless, to say the least.

"Rangers is a great club, and I know they do a lot for charity and that. But I didn't expect them to write to me, honestly."

Ciaran says the letter has given him a lift after months of discomfort caused by the chronic condition. He was forced to stop working as a delivery driver after he was left too exhausted to climb stairs.

He believes the efforts of the renal team at the Glasgow hospital have given him "another chance at life".

He added: "My mum, sister and two family members have got Alport's and one of my uncles had to get a transplant at 16 and the other is on dialysis. I knew I was going to get to the point of needing a transplant at some stage in my life.

"In terms of my kidneys, getting to 27 is quite a long time without getting one but over the last year, I really started to take a turn for the worse. I was feeling exhausted, I didn't have any energy, and even things like going upstairs were a challenge.

"But with a new kidney that will be wiped out. As I start to feel better with the new kidney, I can get back to normal and get back to doing things I enjoy."

The National Kidney Foundation says Alport syndrome affects between one in 5,000 and one in 10,000 people (0.01-0.02 percent) in the UK, making it one of the more common genetic kidney disorders. However, it is relatively rare in the general population.

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