My Story

My mum was born in 1970 with TGA (transposition of the Great Arteries) a heart defect meaning her left ventricle didn't work forcing her smaller right ventricle to pump twice as hard to get her blood flowing. For 53 years my mum has lived with a heart that didn't work properly. She never complained and simply just got on with life. However in August 2022 things took a turn for the worst. My mum went to The Golden Jubilee Hospital in Glasgow for her annual check up. She was told that the only way forward now was to receive a heart transplant. My mum was transferred to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and faced a number of tests over 3 days to establish whether her body would accept a new heart. My mum was given the green light from several specialists on the transplant board and was put onto the urgent transplant database. My mum was told she needed to stay in hospital until a heart became available for her and was told this could take up to 3 months. However 48hrs later we were told that a heart had became available and it was a perfect match for my mum. It was a very difficult and emotional time for us as a family becuase we knew that another family would be suffering and grieving due to the loss of their loved one. On the 14th of August 2022 my mum was given a second chance at life. The transplant team had successfully transplanted my mum after 8 hours in surgery. The care my mum received and stills receives at the Freeman is second to none and we as a family will forever be grateful to every single member of staff who work there. This is why me and my 5 friends Abby Hogarth, Hollie Hamilton, Lauren Grant, Carly McAllan and Carly Scott have chosen to do the Great North Run this year and donate any money raised to the Heart and Lung Transplant Unit at the Freeman! Any donations would be greatly appreciated ❤️