21-year-old Katy Savage from Biddulph in Staffordshire fights for every breath. Katie has a lung disease which has left her lungs functioning at just 23% and she is now in desperate need of a double lung transplant. In spite of her plight, this brave and inspirational young woman is determined to raise awareness about the need for organ donors, and funds for us here at Live Life Then Give Life.
Katy with her beloved dog Poppy
Katy has a rare lung disease called Obliterative Bronchiolitis and endures a daily routine filled with medication, treatment and frequent hospitalisations.
Katy was just 17 when she was told that a double lung transplant would be her only hope of survival. Katy says “This came as a terrible shock to me, my mum, dad and little sister because transplant had never been mentioned before. I was told only small pockets of my lungs still worked. My condition is so rare that they were unable to tell me what my prognosis was.”
In April 2007 Katie went active on the waiting list and Life for the family went on hold as she waited, but months turned into years and the call still didn’t come. Then in November 2009, Katy caught swine flu and became critically ill. She was rushed to intensive care where doctors battled for 2 weeks to keep her alive.
Thankfully Katy survived, however she is now in a severely weakened state and relies on a ventilator 24 hours a day to keep her lungs working. Katy is only too aware that her call may not come in time. Despite being so very ill, Katy is determined to raise as much awareness as possible, and is even trying to raise money by not eating chocolate or crisps for a month and asking for people to sponsor her.
Katy says “A transplant would allow me to do everything; I could have a life and I would be able to do things I would never have been able to do.”
There are more than 10,000 people like Katy in need of an organ transplant right now. 1,000 of those will die this year. You can sign the organ donor register online at www.lltgl.org.uk or by
Please consider sponsoring Katy’s fundraising challenge at http://www.justgiving.com/katysavage
Katy you are an inspiration to us all here at LLTGL and we thank you for all your courage and hard work.
1 comment:
What a true fighter...I do really hope that someone reading your story will realise the true value of organ donation...hoping you get your call soon :-)
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