A Totnes family man who received a lifesaving transplant 15 years ago has told his story in a bid to help a fellow resident who is in dire need of a liver transplant.

James Wills, 45, was rushed into hospital with chronic liver failure on his 30^th birthday and told he had just days to live unless a suitable organ donor could be found.

Thanks to an incredible stroke of luck, a suitable donor was found and James underwent the transplant which saved his life.

Tragically the seven other patients on the ward with James, who were also waiting for liver transplants, were not so fortunate and died before donors could be found.

Cathy Meredith of Maudlin Road fears the same fate awaits her 28-year-old daughter, Sarah, who is seriously ill with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis and desperately needs a new liver.

Sarah’s chances of receiving a transplant are slim, Cathy believes, due to the “flawed” opt out system and lack of available organs.

Cathy is urging as many people as possible to sign the organ donor register and to tell their families they have done so, as under the current rules, grieving families have the final say.

Former KEVICC’s student James agreed and said he was “incredibly grateful” to his donor.

“They don’t know why my liver failed but when something like that does happen you need to have people who are willing to give,” he said.

“There just isn’t the availability, people are scared of it – they’re worried about someone not being complete when they have passed away, but at the end of the day we are all going to turn to dust.

“It should just be a given that no-one can stop organs from being donated if that’s what the person who died had wanted.”

Oil salesman James, who lives with his wife Tania and their 10-year-old son Freddie in Collins Road, described the day he was taken ill.

“Fifteen years ago in 2007 I started to go slightly yellow. I went to the doctors on the Friday, he did some tests and said he would get the results back the following week.

“I played football over the weekend but I became seriously concerned because I was looking a bit more yellow and I didn’t know why.

“I went back to the doctor’s and my test was pushed through. Two days later they said I had to go to hospital as my liver results didn’t look good.

“I was in hospital for a week doing tests and then I was taken up in an ambulance to King’s Hospital in London.

“Two days later they told my brother that if I didn’t get a liver within two days, I would be dead.

“Amazingly, a liver became available. I was lucky, like a lottery winner.

“There were seven other people in the ICU; I had acute liver failure the others had chronic failures and had been waiting for years, like Cathy’s daughter.

“Out of eight of us I was the only one to receive a transplant. Sadly, the others died.

“When you have chronic liver failure they say you need a transplant within the next two years, but you only really get it when you are higher up the list, when you are dying.

“It would be better to get it earlier, if there were more available, but obviously there are not enough so it’s always down to the last minute.”

Since receiving his transplant James has married, had a child, and bought a house.

“Lots of things have happened to me since I received my transplant,” he said.

“I am living a full life. I’m incredibly grateful to my donor.”

To sign Cathy’s petition promoting organ donation with the option to stop families overruling the donor’s wishes visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/601067

To sign up to the organ donor register visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk