Over 100 need transplants in Berkshire

Heart's been told over a hundred people in Berkshire are waiting to have organ transplants.

Figures from the NHS show 98 need kidneys, four are waiting for lungs and others need heart, liver and pancreas transplants.

Heart caught up with 39 year old Donna Smith from Reading while she was in the Royal Berkshire Hospital for dialysis.

Her kidneys first started to fail when she was 24 and pregnant.

Throughout her pregnancy she had to go on dialysis every single day, and says she's very lucky to have her son, who was born prematurely. He's now 15 years old.

She was on the waiting list for three years before her first kidney transplant in 1997.

Donna told Heart she got a call at 2am one morning, and had to be at the hospital by 4am to be able to have the transplant.

"You get two hours to get there and I had it done that evening. it was scary but exciting. it does make a difference having it - it's worth it."

The transplanted kidney lasted eight years before it stopped working, leaving Donna in need of a new organ once again.

She's now been on the waiting list for a new kidney for 5 years and has to go into hospital for dialysis three times a week for three and a half hours each time.

Click here to listen to Donna talk about her dialysis days

Of over 800,000 people living in Berkshire, 241,624 people have signed up to the Organ Donor Register.

Donna said it's vital that more people sign up:

"It's a big thing I know. But the people that do have the organs are really really grateful because it does make a real difference to our lives. If you can have the donor card then brilliant, thank you."