A MAN who found out he was two weeks away from death after suffering hand cramps is urging others to have health checks.

Michael Molyneux, 39, from Ormskirk, is now fighting fit after his sister donated a kidney and he had a transplant.

He has returned to his job as a farmer and has won gold and silver medals in the World Transplant Games.

Doctors at Fazakerley Hospital told him his kidneys were operating at 8% of their capacity, and that he was unlikely to have survived longer than two weeks had the condition not been spotted.

The problems were picked up during a routine examination, when it was also discovered Mr Molyneux only had one kidney.

The dad-of-two is just one of hundreds of patients now being given early diagnosis after doctors discovered new ways of detecting what has been a hidden condition.

Mr Molyneux said: “At the time, I had no idea that I had such a serious condition – there were no identifiable warning signs. When I also started getting cramp in my hands, the doctor decided to give me a full blood test. It turns out I had been born with just one kidney, so when the doctors said my kidneys were operating at only 8% of their capacity, it was actually only one kidney that was doing all the work.”

The numbers of those diagnosed by kidney specialists at Fazakerley have risen from 468 in 2005-6, to over 800 in the last 12 months.

Mr Molyneux added: “I can’t emphasise enough how important it is for people to take up this opportunity to have their kidneys checked. I was lucky – others might not be.”

FAZAKERLEY Hospital’s renal team are setting up a kidney clinic in Bootle Strand for the second year in a row. Saturday shoppers are being invited to stop off for a kidney health check when they visit the shopping centre on March 6.