In the months leading up to the operation, the Griffith community rallied around the pair. They donated to the charity, Mates For Life, and raised $35,000 to help cover the costs of Glen’s stay in Sydney.

Speaking from his hospital bed on Monday, an upbeat Glen, who suffers from a type of kidney disease known as Glomerulonephritis, described the life-changing operation as “bloody awesome”.

“It is so hard to put into words how I’m feeling right now. Not having to get on the dialysis machine is just amazing,” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, Chris is just an absolute champion. I’ll never be able to thank him enough, he’s saved my life.”

Meanwhile, humble mate Chris, who has been discharged and will be home in two weeks, has shrugged off the champion status, praising the Griffith community for their support instead.

“I’m just really happy that everything is working out and Glen is doing so well,” Chris said. “Glen looks normal and is already his bright, happy self which is what I wanted to see.

“I’d really like to thank everyone for their incredible support; it’s ama-zing to think so many people care.”

While the generous donation has already proved what a big heart Chris has, during the operation

doctors also discovered he had a larger than normal kidney too.

It therefore also took longer than expected to get it positioned correctly. When they eventually did, Glen experienced a small bleed and they were forced to re-open and re-position the kidney. But doctors are now happy with Glen’s progress. He will spend the next three months in Sydney recovering.