A COURAGEOUS young woman has taken part in a national television campaign by explaining how she desperately needs a double lung transplant.

Sam Yates has lent her support to the ITV campaign ‘From the Heart’ which aims to raise awareness of the need for more people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

The 27-year-old former primary schoolteacher was visited by a film crew in the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, where she is currently being treated. She gave an interview about the reality of life on the transplant list.

She said: “My hope is that the campaign increases the number of people signing up to the organ donation register.

“However, I also believe that having a widespread national campaign will hopefully correct any misconceptions people may have about organ donation, as well as breaking down the taboo of discussing the subject.

“Ultimately, it would be great to see a campaign like this reduce the amount of time people have to wait on the transplant list.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, Sam, who lives in Preston Candover with her husband Luke, suffers from cystic fibrosis, meaning that her lungs are deteriorating and have been classified as ‘end-stage’.

A double lung transplant will not ‘cure’ Sam of the condition, or even guarantee adding many more years to her life, but it is the one thing that could dramatically increase her quality of life.

She has been on the transplant list for more than three years and in that time has had to endure three heart-breaking false alarms, when she was told organs were available but they were later discounted.

Sam said: “From my own experience, there are just not enough organ donors out there. I think it's just so important to raise awareness.”

Sam was set to appear on ITV Meridian news and was told she may also feature on a special programme, called From the Heart, to be broadcast from 8pm. The ITV campaign is running all this week.