Essex mum-of-two urges people to become organ donors after heart transplant
She says becoming an organ donor is a 'gift'
A secondary school teacher from Southend is encouraging people to consider becoming organ donors, after receiving a heart transplant which saved her life.
Nicky Sharpe, 48, was admitted to Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge in August 2021 for heart failure treatment and spent over 190 days, or over six months, as an inpatient, much of it in a critical care ward.
She received a heart transplant in January and has since recovered well enough to be allowed to continue her rehabilitation at home, with regular, ongoing check-ups at Royal Papworth.
She now hopes more people will consider becoming donors: "It's such a gift. 500 people lost their lives last year waiting for an organ, and only 56 people had heart transplant last year.
"For somebody to have the courage to say yes, there's not words adequate enough to share how brilliant that gift was.
"It's not just my life that was saved, it's my children's childhood as well."
After such a long time in hospital, Nicky was excited to get back to her two sons, who'd been cared for by her sister, Anna-Marie, whilst she was in hospital: "Due to COVID restrictions, the children weren't allowed into Papworth, so to be able to actually hug them and touch them, because we only fist bumped twice whilst in hospital.
"Just to be around them, to be able to have conversations with them, because there's so many little conversations you miss out on about their day - to be able to get back into that has just been brilliant."
Nicky's recovering well and is making sure to look after herself: "You're very closely monitored in the first year, so it's just taking things slowly and making sure you allow the organ to settle in.
"They want to avoid rejection and your body fighting it, so you just try and avoid viruses and things that could trigger that happening.
"It's just having a sensible lifestyle, but I'm just glad to have a lifestyle!"
She's now looking ahead to the future: "I want to celebrate with my nearest and dearest family and friends because it wasn't just me going through it.
"There's so many close friends and family who lived the experience with me and I want to celebrate with them.
"I've got my 50th coming up in a couple of years and I think that will be a focus - I'll have a great celebration, have a party and say thanks to everybody."