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Waiting for a transplant Lives lost waiting Recipient of a transplant Giving the gift of life

Rob Longrigg is 32 years old. He was born with Cystic Fibrosis and received a double lung transplant at Harefield Hospital, Middlesex in October 2003.

Prior to my life-saving double lung transplant, I was in hospital more than I was at home, on 24 hour oxygen therapy and confined to a wheelchair. But even though my body was failing me I had to keep mentally strong. My belief in getting a transplant kept me going. I was willing 'The Call' to happen, and on the night of Wednesday 29th October 2003, it did.

I was in hospital at the time and I collapsed when I got the call. I got in the ambulance and met my family at Harefield Hospital where full tests were carried out before a period of waiting ensued until I got the final ok for my operation.

That was the most surreal experience of my life. I made phone calls to friends and family to tell them the news. It was an emotional time but the situation was now totally out of my control. After about 6 hours, the transplant co-ordinator came in and said "Let's roll, it’s happening!!" Then that was it...just me, God and the surgeons.

Two days later I woke up in Intensive Care and I couldn't really focus on what had actually happened. I was still heavily medicated but I had an underlying feeling of joy, gratitude and relief. My very first breath was like no other I had ever taken. There was no tightness, no wheeze and no cough…just a weird feeling of being able to breathe deeply. It felt very unusual and alien to me. Realising that this was how it felt to breathe normally and healthily was a very emotional sensation.

Week by week I became stronger, regaining my appetite, amazed by my increased senses of smell and taste. I even began to look forward to my twice daily exercise sessions with the physiotherapists. After a very difficult 5 weeks I returned back home, ready to start living my life again… the life that my donor and their family had given me back.

I am only too aware of how fortunate I am to be in this position and for me each day is a blessing. I have been given the opportunity of a second chance at life that precious few get. I have gone from a terminally/chronically ill person not being able to look past the next day, to being healthy and able to plan for a future. I have been given a chance to LIVE my life again, to do all the things I dreamt of, and to me that is the most special part of what I have been through.

On 6th August 2005 I took part in the London Triathlon which consisted of a 750 metre swim, a 20 km bike ride and a 5km run. I trained six days a week in the lead-up to the event and I finished it in 2 hours 30 minutes. For me this was an affirmation of how dramatically my life had changed and I now intend to do one challenge event each year to honour and respect the memory of my donor.

Thanks to their gift of life, I am able to do things that I could never have imagined possible a few short years ago. I have found true love and Mel and I got married at the beginning of 2008. I am enjoying life more than I ever have done and I now have a whole new future to look forward to. I can never repay the debt of gratitude to them and their family.