Teen to sail 490 miles to encourage organ donors

Lottie will travel a total of 490 miles (789 km) across seven days

A Devon teenager, who was the youngest person ever to have a liver transplant, is taking part in a sailing challenge to encourage more people to become organ donors.

Lottie, 13, from Torquay was just five weeks old when she underwent the procedure which saved her life.

Her challenge will see her sail 70 miles (113 km) across seven days around South Devon, which she said would "salute" the 7,000 people currently on the transplant waiting list.

Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I feel like I was pretty lucky to get that liver in that time."

When Lottie was born her parents were told she had two weeks to live, and a child of her size had never had the transplant before.

Lottie's mum Julie said her daughter was a "living example of what organ donation can achieve".

She continued: "She is living her life to the fullest and is grateful every day."

As well as the joy of Lottie's transplant success, the family had also experienced the pain of the other end of the process.

Lottie's brother Daniel died when she three. His organs were able to help six patients after his death.

The teenager's dad, Christopher, said: "We feel it is important for us to shout about it because we can.

"We know the stories and we know we can make a difference."

All funds raised by the challenge will go towards a memorial at Torbay Hospital to pay tribute to organ donors and their families.