"I just know she was a young female. Her family made that decision at a terrible time in their lives. I am so grateful."
"I just couldn't breathe. It took me about 15 minutes to get up or down the stairs and then that was me for the day, I would stay there,"
"The moment I came around from the transplant, I was pink that's what everybody noticed. The improvement in breathing was immediate."
"rare and complex"
Katie Mitchell from Sidcup underwent a combined heart and lung transplant at Royal Papworth Hospital in September 1987 at age 15. She was diagnosed with Eisenmenger syndrome at 11, which caused high pulmonary artery pressure, irreversible lung damage and heart failure. Before the transplant she experienced severe breathlessness and visible hypoxia. The transplant produced an immediate improvement in oxygenation and breathing. The procedure remains rare and complex in the UK, with roughly five heart-lung transplants performed annually. Katie attributes her survival to a young donor and expresses deep gratitude for the donor family's decision.
Read at www.bbc.com
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