Hannah Sharma

I went in to heart failure through a viral infection in December 2018/ January 2019. Previous to this, I had been completely well. Unfortunately, the infection took hold pretty quickly and my consultants believed I had Dilated Cardiomyopathy; my heart was severely scarred and unable to pump the blood around my body like it should. After months of tests and just six weeks on the urgent transplant list, I received my new heart in May 2019. The first year is the most critical and risk of infection and illnesses will always be high due to the need for immune suppressant medication. I am spending the first year getting my strength back by going to the gym, walking my dog and I have recently started yoga again. I also hope to attend and participate in the British Transplant Games this year.

Aside from this, I enjoy traveling, drawing, dancing and you will often find me with my friends and family, enjoying their company whenever I can. I have 5 wonderful siblings, and 4 nieces and nephews, so life is far from boring.  I like to write, and hope to start a blog as soon as I can. I also help out at staff training events for doctors and nurses by publicly speaking about my journey. Public speaking does not come easily to me, but if I can, I would love to push myself to do more to help people in the transplant community. I am so happy and grateful to be alive and it is all because of a donor. Organ Donation saved my life and I hope to never take life for granted again.