Hey, thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

So me being me and always looking for something to do, to keep me busy I took up a new sport GOLF last year April 22, after having a Double Lung Transplant in August 2020 at Harefield Hospital. I wanted to do a sport that supports both my mental and physical health and golf was the perfect choice for me!

I'm fundraising for Harefield Hospital Transplant Club, which supports people who have had or who are awaiting an organ transplant, and their families and carers. It provides support, information, and recreational and sporting activities to help with rehabilitation and overall health.

I have been fully focused, dedicated and determined to do my best and achieve my handicap this past year in the hope that I was good enough to participate in the British Transplant Games(BTG) Golf Event, which is taking place at The Warwickshire Golf and Country Club in Warwick on the 28th July 23.

The British Transplant Games is a celebration of life. It's a 4 day event, with 25 different sports, that attracts around 1000 transplant athletes and more than 1700 supporters. The Transplant games raise awareness of the need for organ donation, the importance of living active lifestyles and to show appreciation and remember our donors and their families.

With the help of my wonderful Coach Craig Normansell, Head Pro at Finchley Golf Club, his Gateway to Golf programme and regular lessons at Finchley over the last year, I am very proud to say I now have a handicap and I was successful in my application to BTG. So I am participating in the British Transplant Games as part of the Harefield Hospital Team in the 18-hole Stableford Golf event in less than 2 weeks on the 28th July 2023!!

I'm so excited!! Also a touch nervous but that's good right..LOL. I'm the only golfer in the Harefield team plus the added pressure of being a female... so I'm also representing the ladies in a predominantly male sport.

I wanted to tell you a bit about me and why I needed a double lung transplant at such a young age of 42.

I was born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a life-limiting condition. I have 2 mutated genes which made it extremely difficult for doctors to identify and treat my symptoms. On paper, I didn't fit the CF criteria, yet my chest xrays were very similar to CF patients, and symptomatically it strongly suggested having CF. I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 29 years old, just before my 30th birthday, because science/technology had advanced so much that it found my genetic make-up.

I received the gift of life, my precious lungs on the 22nd of August 2020, after having another lung bleed requiring a procedure which would have reduced my lung function so much so I would have needed to be on oxygen 24 hours a day. Over the years I slowly deteriorated, my medications stopped working, and I was on intravenous antibiotics for 6 weeks at a time. I was permanently on oral antibiotics and nebulisers, and I slept mostly upright or on 5 pillows as I couldn't breathe lying down. I couldn't walk more than 3 minutes without my oxygen levels dropping dangerously low. But if you know me, you'll know I was determined not to let my illness define me, and I got up every day no matter how sick I was, kept moving and pushed myself as much as I could.

I am so grateful and feel so blessed to have been given this second chance in life. I know that without my donors lungs, I wouldn't be here today.

I am so happy I get to spend more time with my family and friends and do activities I've never been able to do before.

Make the most of each day you have, live life to the max, be happy, be strong, stay positive and importantly, be around people that believe in you, love you and support you. Life is too short!

I want everyone to know how organ donation saves lives.

I am participating in this Golf Event at The British Transplant Games in honour of my donor and to raise awareness of organ donation.

It would mean so much to me if you could possibly make a donation to the Harefield Transplant Club which is helping me in my transplant rehabilitation. They're amazing. Thank you so much.

Big hugs and kisses to you all.

Ana xxx