Lomu to undergo transplant this year

Jonah Lomu is hoping to undergo a kidney transplant by the end of the year.

The former All Black wing has revealed that potential donors have been identified and that doctors hope to insert the organ in a new position to heighten his chances of returning to rugby.

“I will be back,” Lomu, 28, told the South China Morning Post.

“A close friend of mine has agreed to donate a kidney, and I expect the operation will be done sometime this year.

“If all goes well, I expect to be back playing rugby again. I want to play for the All Blacks again. The surgeon has promised me it will be a success.”

Auckland Hospital transplant unit head Stephen Munn has said the kidney from one of Lomu’s friends may be transplanted to a higher position to protect it from damage which usually makes contact sport too dangerous for transplant patients.

Lomu, currently in Hong Kong as an ambassador for the IRB Sevens tournament, has suffered severe nerve damage to his feet and lower legs as a result of the dialysis treatment he must undergo six days a week, for eight hours at a time.

Without a transplant he will face life in a wheelchair.