Woman dies as lung op cancelled twice

A 23-YEAR-OLD woman, for whom a life-saving lung transplant operation had to be called off twice recently, died yesterday at Cork University Hospital.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) sufferer Mary Hand, from Dingle, had been given 12 months to live without a transplant and was still hoping for a phone call telling her that a suitable donor was available.

Twice in the past three months, she had been rushed to Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, England, with her mother, Betty. This is the hospital where such surgery on Irish people is carried out. However, she was told she could not have the operation on both occasions.