Transplant family in donor appeal

Three members of the same family who are all waiting for heart transplants have urged more people to register as organ donors.

Twins Lauren and Katie Williams, two, and their mother Louise Snape, 29, from Middleton,  suffer from the same rare heart condition.

The condition, dilated cardiomyopathy, causes the heart to enlarge and become less effective.

The pool of donors is small and the family has appealed for help.

Doctors have said Ms Snape, who was diagnosed with the condition when she was pregnant with the twins, has between 12 and 15 years to live but this could be extended with a heart transplant.
 
The twins' hearts are weaker than those of healthy toddlers

Katie was diagnosed shortly after she was born, but Lauren was only diagnosed a few weeks ago.

The twins' hearts are now a lot weaker than those of healthy toddlers, and they are both struggling.

Matching organs must come from a recently deceased child with the same tissue match and weight as theirs.

Louise's partner, Simon Williams, has said the wait is "frustrating".

"It's frustrating because you're thinking... what can I do - I'm their dad," he said.

"And for our kids you should be able to fix anything - but this one I can't.

"I'm thinking 'why can't I?' So the only thing I can do is try to make people aware, and just come forward.

"What start in life have they got if they haven't got a chance in life? It's not fair, it's just not fair."

His views are echoed by Ms Snape.

"It takes a lot of getting used to but we've done it," she said.

"We just take each day as it comes and be thankful for what you've got".