Artist Darren so grateful

TWO years ago Darren Smallwood could only dream of recapturing his days as an artist as he lay in a hospital bed recovering from a second kidney transplant.

Father Ron, then aged 58, had donated a kidney to end his son's pain.

"If someone had told me at that time I would be back painting and going to Stoke City matches in two years, I would have laughed in their face," said the Potters fan.

But two years on Darren is now preparing to showcase his Stoke City-themed artwork.

And the 35-year-old from Knypersley is also to marry fiance Louise Smith – with the reception at the Britannia.

The airbrush artist was born with scarring of the kidney and had his first transplant at the age of 17.

He managed to finish his art course at Leek College and find work painting the images seen on fairground rides.

But his career was put on hold following problems with his kidney.

Darren said: "A few years ago things got worse and I started being sick all the time and was very lethargic, and I got to the point where I was asleep all day."

Louise, aged 31, who met Darren at a friend's barbecue seven years ago, said: "I remember one Boxing Day, Darren had to be brought home after we went to his parents as he was too ill. And I just sat in the lounge and cried for about an hour."

Darren was told his transplanted kidney had began to fail in 2007, and dad Ron stepped forward. A year of tests later, the pair went to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital for the operation.

Darren said: "I was worried about my dad as he was 58 at the time and I would have never forgiven myself if something had gone wrong. He gave me an incredible gift and now I can use it."

Darren was able to start going to Stoke games at the end of the 2008 promotion season – and his love of painting returned.

He said: "I airbrushed a picture of Tony Pulis on to the back of a T-shirt. I wasn't too sure how good it was, but the feedback was amazing and it ended up on the Oatcake message board."

That T-shirt prompted Stoketshirts.co.uk, a Stoke City merchandise firm, to ask Darren to do some work.

The company put him in touch with Theartbay, Fenton, where his work will be part of a display of Stoke City-themed work, Delilah's Calling, for a week from Saturday, November 21. His work features images of James Beattie, Abdoulaye Faye, Rory Delap and Ryan Shawcross, along with the Britannia and the Sir Stanley Matthews statue.

Ron, pictured left, aged 60, who lives with wife Cynthia, also aged 60, in Bemersley, said: "I will be going to the exhibition and I'm so proud of him."

Darren will also be painting a picture of the Victoria Ground at Theartbay on Saturday from 12pm until 4pm, and the same time on Wednesday.

Cash from its sale will go to a charity of Theartbay's choice and the North Staffs Kidney Patients Association.