A DAD of two who received a life-changing kidney transplant says: “Every day is a gift.”

Stevie Anderson, 48, shared his story to mark the start of Organ Donation Week, and encourage more Scots to sign up to the national register.

Stevie’s kidney problems were first discovered when he was about to undergo surgery to have his gallbladder removed in 2014.

Following tests doctors explained that his kidney function was in decline and that he’d be looking at dialysis down the line. He went onto the transplant list in November 2016 and received a new kidney in October last year.

Read more: The Evening Times campaign to create a city of lifesavers

Stevie said: “It was the end of a long road and I couldn’t believe how much better I felt.

“The recovery went really well and I was discharged in five days. It was quite simply amazing.”

“Someone described dialysis as a full-time job you can’t take a holiday from, which is so true. It’s daunting but it’s the thing that’s keeping you alive.”

The Scottish Government is taking forward plans to switch to an opt-out transplant system, which means consent is assumed unless an individual has registered an objection.