Mary waits for lung transplant to combat cystic fibrosis

MARY HAND is waiting for a call that will turn her life around. The 23-year-old from Dingle, Co Kerry, has cystic fibrosis and needs a double lung transplant as soon as possible.

She has been waiting since last April to be called by the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for her life-saving operation.

Currently, there are 20 Irish people on the hospital's waiting list, of whom 14 have cystic fibrosis. But while Irish people have been very generous in donating organs this has not been reflected in the number of lungs 'harvested' last year.