Less than a year ago, Paul Mullen, 45, from Sheffield was in intensive care and his family were called in to say their final goodbyes. Now he is walking 10km a day to train for the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in July, which involves a 24-km trek across the Yorkshire Dales and climbing the three highest peaks in Yorkshire, Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough, to raise money for the British Liver Trust.
Paul’s life was saved by a liver transplant in August 2025. Now, on World Liver Day (April 19th), he wants to raise awareness of the many causes of liver disease, the stigma that patients can face and the urgent need for people to make their wishes known on organ donation to their loved ones.
Paul first suspected that something was wrong in 2023 when his shins started itching so badly that he would scratch them until they bled. He then developed crushing fatigue, which made it difficult for him to manage his 70-hour working week in hospitality, followed by jaundice.
There was already significant damage to Paul’s liver when he was diagnosed with advanced Primary Biliary Cholangitis, a rare autoimmune condition which causes inflammation of the bile ducts. As the disease progressed, litres of fluid began building up on his abdomen, and he needed to be regularly drained in hospital and was forced to give up working.
Paul was placed on the liver transplant waiting list in May 2025, but by August his health had deteriorated so badly that he was rushed to intensive care. Paul said: “A donor liver had become available but I wasn’t well enough to accept it – I really struggled with that mentally because it finally sank in how ill I actually was. Explaining that to my family and worrying about how they would cope was very difficult and I had really bad intrusive thoughts.”
A second liver became available in August and, this time, the transplant went ahead. Paul said: “I went through so many emotions again, the anxiety, happiness, sadness, fear, the fact that someone died to enable me to live. I’ve got nothing but love and thanks to the guys in hospital.”
As he lay in hospital recovering from the transplant, the idea of a fundraising challenge began to form in Paul’s mind. He said: “I was adamant I was going to do something because I felt I owed it to myself to make life count and to the person who allowed me to have this second chance. My consultant did tell me off quite a lot in the first couple of months because they were worried I was overdoing it, but I found it tough to hold back.”
Because it still feels sore when Paul tries to run to run, his brother-in-law Wade Savage, 35, suggested they take on Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, along with Paul’s son Alexander, 23.
Paul said: “We decided to fundraise for the British Liver Trust because it supports people like me before, during and after transplant, and funds vital research, information and support for those affected by liver disease. I also wanted to raise awareness of the stigma surrounding liver disease because so many people think it’s only caused by alcohol.
“It’s crazy to think of the state I was in a year ago when I couldn’t even walk 15 yards to the toilet from my hospital bed. My consultant is really happy with my progress and is now very supportive of me doing the challenge.”
- Support Paul’s fundraising challenge
- Find out more about the British Liver Trust and how to sign up for the Three Peaks Challenge
