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Waiting for a transplant Lives lost waiting Recipient of a transplant Giving the gift of life

Samantha Webb-Jones (left) was just 22 years old when she died waiting for a double lung transplant. This piece is written by her best friend, Sammy-Jo Wright (right).

The first time I met Sam I had no idea that she had CF – or that she was even ill for that matter; I just remember thinking was that she seemed really confident and was obviously very popular. Sam and I soon became really close friends; we just got on so well. We spoke about the fact she would one day need a lung transplant, but that was in the future and so she kept it that way. She was even there for me through all the ‘problems’ I had, that looking back were so trivial compared to what she was going through.

That summer Sam and I went on holiday to Zante which was the ‘place to be’ that year. We got on the plane with our pink Cowboy hats and mammoth cases, packed full of clothes, bikinis, make up and hair straighteners! That week we were drinking every night, dancing on the bars, sunbathing everyday and lounging in the pool. However behind closed doors it was a different matter. Sam dealt with the CF in an amazing and inspirational way that meant she still lived her life. She would spend hours every morning doing physio, having nebulisers and taking medication. She would then appear at the pool like some goddess looking absolutely stunning and no one would have a clue all the meds she’d been taking for hours before.

Making the decision to go on the transplant list wasn’t a difficult one to make in itself – she was always going to do it. I think the difficultly came in accepting that she was now at that point. Sam was positive though, and always spoke about after the transplant and all the things she was going to do. We were going to go back to Zante and spoke about it as if it was a certainty. There was never the option of her not getting the transplant and her new lungs. It was going happen, just a question of when.

She had her bag all packed ready for that call, and had everyone at the ready to drive her to the hospital at a moments notice. We spoke about how I would take over her blog to keep the world updated on her recovery, and how I would make a tape of her favourite songs to play until she woke up from the operation. It’s devastating that we never got do all that.

Sam’s transplant never came, and she passed away on 2nd May 2008.

Throughout her wait, Sam carried on living; she stayed positive, enjoyed every moment and looked forward to the future. Now she has been cruelly denied that future because there aren’t enough donors. I miss Sam more than I ever thought it possible to miss anyone – she was like the sister I never had. I can’t imagine how her family or boyfriend feel at this time, but I can honestly say that I feel like she has been stolen from me. There was no need for her not to at least get the opportunity of new lungs.

How many people say they don’t mind being an organ donor? How many of those people never get round to registering? I think everyone needs to ask themselves how they would feel if they had a terminal illness. They then need to think how they would feel if doctors told them there was a chance of a lifesaving operation which could cure or extend their life. How would they feel if that chance never came because there is a lack of donors?

I hope that from this account of a beautiful, positive, brave and inspirational young woman, those who aren’t currently registered will take 5 minutes to do it and just get on with it. For Sam.

Life is too short not to.