Want the best Cheshire news straight to your inbox every day? Sign up to our newsletter! Subscribe here Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Cystic fibrosis sufferer Mark Allen is on a strict coronavirus lock-down at home but his condition means he must keep fit.

Mark, 48, from Widnes, wouldn't be here today were it not for the kindness of a stranger whose untimely death led to the donation of a pair of lungs when his own had almost given up.

So Mark has always been careful to protect the gift of life that has kept him going for the past 15 years.

But it’s been an uphill struggle as damage caused by transplant rejection in the early days and a recent chest infection that has left him needing oxygen at times.

So for him keeping fit and making the most of what little lung capacity he has is not an option.

That’s why he is currently using a range of games on the Wii Fit as well as an exercise bike to ensure he does not get out of shape despite being stuck at home.

Mark, a press officer for Halton Council, who is also diabetic and on kidney dialysis, said: “I’ve just come out of hospital and I was doing a bit more exercise each day, walking further and using less oxygen and I was gradually getting back to normal. But then it all stopped. We had a week of rain followed by the lock-down so I’ve got no choice but to do it inside.

“I have a really low lung capacity any way so my life depends on keeping as fit as I can.”

Mark has won countless medals competing at table tennis in the British, European and World Transplant Games – including a gold medal at the British games in Newport, Wales, last summer.

He exhibits a strength of will that probably explains why he has defied the odds.

At birth he would not have been expected to live into his teens.

But there have been tremendous medical advances over the years, especially recently, offering hope that some children with CF today may even experience a normal or near normal life expectancy.

The fact that Mark, from a previous generation, is approaching 50 must be a testament to his positvity as well as the fabulous care our NHS provides.