Cheltenham lung transplant recipient will be 'forever grateful'

Douglas Forbes received a double lung transplant in 2013

A double-lung transplant recipient says he will be "forever grateful" to his donor and their family.

Douglas Forbes, from Cheltenham, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was 18 months old.

The 41-year-old received his transplant in 2013, after his condition gradually became more severe and left him needing oxygen 24 hours a day.

Mr Forbes said: "I wouldn't be here without the lungs that were given to me by my donor and their family."

At the age of 31, he was listed for a transplant and waited three "anxious" months for a match.

"It was either transplantation or the end of my life. Without that prospect I was looking at a decline into nothing.

"I wouldn't have seen my son's birth, I wouldn't be able to be a part of my family, be with my friends, I wouldn't be able to work… I wouldn't be here quite simply, without that generosity," Mr Forbes said.

What is cystic fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition that causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system.

It can cause lung infections and problems with digesting food.

Symptoms usually start in early childhood and vary for each individual, but the condition gradually gets worse over time, with the lungs and digestive system becoming increasingly damaged.

There is no cure for the condition, but a range of treatments can help control symptoms and reduce complications.

Source: NHS

Mr Forbes continued: "My donor's family were presented with such a difficult choice at such a difficult time.

"To have the courage to make that decision is remarkable and I'll never be able to explain how grateful I am."

According to NHS Blood and Transport, around 495,000 people in Gloucestershire have declared their decision on whether they want to be an organ donor through the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Although this is one of the highest figures in the UK, there are still about 150,000 people who are yet to make their choice.

Cheltenham General Hospital clinical lead Dr Mark Haslam said keeping donation consent numbers up was a challenge.

Dr Mark Haslam said one person consenting to organ donation could save up to nine people's lives

"The need is still very much there. There are 7,000 people on the waiting list in the UK and every day somebody dies waiting for a transplant.

"One person can save the lives of up to nine people," he said.

He went on to explain only around 1% of people who die in the UK are eligible to donate their organs and careful consideration is always taken.

"The patient needs to die on a ventilator, essentially on an intensive care unit.

"We always honour the decisions that our patients have made," he said.