Carla was thrilled to receive her transplant at the end of 2014 and remains in good health.  The following is her account, written as her health deteriorated rapidly.

I first discovered I had heart failure when I had a cardiac arrest, aged 30. I was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy, which means that my heart is enlarged and is not pumping efficiently, so I was fitted with an ICD (internal defib). I used to be very active and had a big passion for dance and performing arts.

Since 2007 the heart failure has got progressively worse and now it’s a struggle to climb one flight of stairs. I have two amazing children but it is hard to keep up with their pace of life!

Since October 2013 I have been on the transplant list at Papworth Hospital. I have had three false starts and a brief visit to intensive care, which takes its toll emotionally on us all. We are keeping positive that the right heart will soon become available so we can start building a new life thanks to an amazing gift! In the meantime, I would love to help raise awareness and promote the all-important family discussion about organ donation.