A grandmother and a little girl are appealing for readers to sign up to the organ donor register – and offer the gift of life.
Leslie Mitchell, 51, has been waiting for five years for a double lung transplant.
Her daily battle to survive means she is permanently hooked up to an oxygen supply.
Four-year-old Ellie-Mae Wolfenden had a partial liver transplant shortly after her first birthday.
Since overcoming hepatoblastoma – a rare cancer which affects one in 1.5 million children each year – she has gone from strength to strength.
In the last five years, 55 people in Macclesfield have had organ transplants including kidney, heart, lung, sclera, cornea and liver. But three people have also died waiting for their chance.
There are 11 people in Macclesfield currently waiting for organ transplants.
But with only 40,500 people from the town signed up to the register – around a quarter of the population – people like Lesley face a wait longer than might be necessary.
The Wolfenden family from Tytherington know exactly how important the service is after Ellie-Mae was given part of a liver from a 37-year-old man who had died.
Mum Karen believes his decision to sign up to organ donor register saved Ellie-Mae’s life.
She said: “My little girl would simply not be alive if it wasn’t for the register. Giving life to another is the ultimate gift.”
Ellie-Mae spent two months on a waiting list before her chance came. Leslie Mitchell has endured a gruelling five-year wait.
Leslie, from Poynton, was diagnosed with a genetic form of the lung disease emphysema 16 years ago.
Since then she has had to gradually hand over the running of her stable and horse riding business to her family and wait for a call from the transplant team.
Leslie’s biggest battle is staying healthy.
She has been hospitalised with pneumonia and chest infections many times, which threatens her chances of being allowed to go through with a transplant.
She said: “Every day is a battle and a waiting game. Five years is a long time to put your life on hold.
“I just have to remain positive and hope my chance will come.
“The more people on the register the better, not just for me, but for all those people waiting.
“I would urge everyone to take a minute out of their day and sign up.
“My view is that when you’re gone, you don’t need your organs, so if they can be used to save another person’s life then that’s a good thing.”
If you want to sign up to the organ donor register, visit the website http://uktransplant.org.uk .
