NEWLYWED Jennifer Wederell believed that a lung transplant would give her years with her husband and family.
But just months later, at 27, she died from metastatic lung cancer, after discovering the transplant organ had belonged to a smoker twice her age.
Now, almost a year after Jennifer's diagnosis, The J's Hospice has joined forces with her family to fight for greater awareness of the issues surrounding organ donation, and to launch a campaign in her memory, called Jennifer's Choice.
"When Jennifer died she wanted me to promise two things – to raise money for The J's Hospice based in Chelmsford, which cared for her in her final months, and to tell her story," said her father Colin Grannell.
At two-years-old Jennifer, and her five-year-old brother Richard, had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a degenerative condition that causes a build-up of mucus in the lungs.
Jennifer watched her brother deteriorate before finally losing his battle with the illness in 2005, while on the waiting list for a transplant.
In 2009 she too began to go into decline, but was given a second chance when a lung was found and the operation went ahead at Harefield Hospital, Middlesex, in 2011.
Colin, who used to work as the head of partnership marketing for Visa Europe, said: "When she had the transplant we thought we had cheated the illness for a reasonable time and looked forward to having our lives back, but just after the surgery things went badly wrong."
Jennifer, who worked for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, less than a year after marrying her boyfriend of four years, David.
Colin, 57, said: "We found out that the lung she had been given had belonged to a person around twice her age, who admitted to smoking at least 20 cigarettes a day.
"Had Jennifer been aware of where the lung came from then she told us she never would have had the operation.
"She should have been given that information beforehand so she could make a choice."
Following her death in August of last year the family have vowed to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation in memory of Jennifer, and to campaign for a policy change that means more information is made available to transplant patients.
"We wrote to the NHS Trust, our MP, and the Health Ombudsmen but after months waiting for a response all we were told is that Jennifer was 'unlucky' and that all guidelines had been followed.
"We later found out that between 1999 and 2010, 39 per cent of lungs transplanted had belonged to smokers – even Jennifer who worked for CFT wasn't aware of it so how could anyone else be expected to," added Colin, who has raised around £50,000 for The J's, which provided care to his daughter in her final months.
The family from Hawkwell hope to find ways to socialise organ donation so that others need not go through the same "horrible death" and The J's Hospice has joined them in spreading the word.
Director of clinical services Bev Barclay said "Jennifer was a shining example of someone who showed courage and strength in adversity. Despite the fact that she knew she was dying, she daily found something to smile and be happy about. We are very much behind Jennifer's wish for her family to start a campaign that encourages more people to join the Organ Donor Register.
"There are always many more people in need of transplants than there are suitable donors and raising awareness will help address this."
Colin added: "We're trying social media to get the message out. We just want donations to become the norm so that there are enough healthy organs for everyone who needs them."
To read more out about Jennifer and the campaign visit: www.facebook.com/ JennifersChoice.
