A woman from the Scottish Borders has described receiving a double-lung transplant at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital as the "gift of life" after waiting four years for a match. Thea Macalpine, 52, was born with cystic fibrosis and, after developing a severe chest infection six years ago, became dependent on oxygen due to pulmonary hypertension.
Four-year wait for smaller lungs
Ms Macalpine, who is around 5ft tall, needed smaller lungs, which extended her wait on the transplant list. After four years, a suitable pair of organs became available. She said: "It was the gift of life. I can't thank my donor family enough. Their sacrifice and generosity have given me my life back."
The transplant was made possible using ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) at the Newcastle Organ Assessment Hub (NOAH), a technique that allows donor lungs to be evaluated and supported outside the body before transplantation. This enables more organs to be assessed than was previously possible.
Life transformed after transplant
Since the operation, Ms Macalpine has returned to walking, the gym, and working with a personal trainer. She also hopes to return to work, having previously held a full-time role at a software firm before her condition worsened.
Dr Gerard Meachery, consultant in respiratory and transplant medicine and joint director of the Cardiothoracic Transplant Programme at the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Organ donation saves and transforms lives, and Thea's story is a powerful example of the difference it can make. We are incredibly grateful to her donor and their family for their generosity. We would also like to recognise the contribution of the many teams involved in her care, including colleagues in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle, whose close partnership and specialist expertise helped support Thea throughout her transplant journey. It is wonderful to see her enjoying life again following her transplant."
Urgent response to donation shortfall
Ms Macalpine shared her story during organ donation week, held from 21 to 27 September. In the North East alone, 341 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant, and NHS Blood and Transplant has launched an "urgent response" to address the shortfall in donation rates.
Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "We are facing one of the most challenging periods for organ donation in over a decade. The sharp decline in donors and the rising number of people waiting for a transplant need urgent action. We have already adapted significantly to changes in the donation environment. But saving lives and reducing the waiting list needs collective effort across the NHS and society. There is a simple action the public can take to help save lives. Please sign the NHS Organ Donor Register. Most of us would accept an organ if we needed one but opportunities to save lives are being lost because families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted. Leave them certain."
People can confirm their support for organ donation at organdonation.nhs.uk, by calling 0300 123 23 23, or via the NHS app. It is important to tell loved ones about the decision, as while the system is now "opt-out", families commonly overrule a loved one's decision.
