Man given months to live making most of every day thanks to lung transplant

Andy Bright, 58, was diagnosed with a terminal lung disease in 2013

A grandfather given just two months to live says he is making the most of every day thanks to a lung transplant.

Andy Bright, 58, from Birmingham, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2013.

The condition sees the lungs become scarred and makes it increasingly difficult to breathe.

Mr Bright said he had eventually accepted the doctors' prognosis, but news there was no cure had initially been "terrifying".

"You don't know when it's going to kill you", he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Living with a disease that no-one knows about is frustrating."

An Aston Villa fan, the condition came to light when he realised he was getting breathless while climbing steps at his beloved Villa Park stadium.

Initially, however, he was told he was too healthy for a lung transplant and had to wait for his lung capacity to dramatically reduce.

While transplants can significantly improve life expectancy they are only suitable in some cases and donor lungs are rare. They are also not a cure.

Since recovering from the surgery, he has abseiled down his beloved Villa Park

He was finally put on the transplant list in December 2017, but then faced an anxious wait while his health deteriorated.

Breathing became even more difficult and ultimately he had to relearn how to speak and relied on an oxygen cylinder and breathing apparatus.

But even that he turned into a game, telling his grandchildren that he was a superhero like Iron Man.

In 2018, doctors told Mr Bright that he "might make Christmas", but it would probably be his "last".

"When you know you've not got long to live, you accept that," he said.

"I got quite comfortable with it, I planned my own funeral and I knew I was going to die."

Transplant call

He spent the final half of that year planning out his final days with his best friend and enjoyed what he believed would be a final wedding anniversary meal with his wife Jill.

Then one night at 01:00 a mobile he used exclusively as a transplant hotline began to ring.

Mr Bright remembered the call well: "'We might have some lungs for you', the doctor on the other end said. 'Are you still interested?'"

He was soon being prepared for surgery.

"Looking back, there wasn't ever a stage when I thought 'what if I don't come out of it?' because I'd put everything in place for that eventuality," he said.

"So when I went in, all I was thinking about was what I had to look forward to."

Despite some complications he has made a good recovery, using his new lungs to win a medal at a badminton tournament and even abseil down Villa Park.

Mr Bright said while he did not know how long he had left to live, he was determined to make the most of every day and raise awareness of IPF and other lung conditions.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]