I have been spending hour after hour this week creating a slide-show to raise awareness of the desperate need for more registered organ donors in the UK. During this time I have been reading lots of letters to Donor Families from receipients, that are viewable on the internet. All the letters spoke of such heartfelt gratitude, but I think this one sums it up more than any other, so I've copied it down here. Wouldn't it be amazing to think that we had each left a gift like this behind?

Dear Donor Family,

" Thank You" these two words seem so inadequate for the gift of life you have given to me.

You have given me a second chance to live and many tomorrows.

I will be able to see the sun rise and set, feel the rain and sun on my face, hear the wind in the trees, and listen to the birds sing.

I will be able to hug and be hugged.

I must offer my deepest sympathy for your loss, mere words from a stranger, but heartfelt just the same. Perhaps, in your generous donation your family and mine will be able to "Celebrate the Life" of loved ones both past and present.

I know nothing about the donor only that they must have been kind, caring, compassionate, and generous, something they had to have learned from you, their family.

I feel that each new day has endless possibilities, and that my horizons are without bounds.

I only hope that I am able to justify the use of this wonderful gift.

I could make you promises of what I would do to make our world a better place, but we all know that promises tend to be broken and time can cause us to forget. But know this, not a day, not an hour, or a minute will go by without my thinking of the donor and their family without whom I would not have had a chance to live.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
The recipient

Yesterday we went to watch the filming of the Sharon Osbourne Show in London. Brad and I had been invited along as guests of the family of Lucy Pearson, who were appearing on the show. For those of you who don't know of Lucy, she is 6 years old and several weeks ago she was dying from end-stage heart failure, having been born with nearly every heart abnormality that it is possible for a baby to be born with. She had been waiting for 8 months on the waiting list and time really was running very short for her and things looked very bleak. Then she got the call that was to not only save, but totally transform her life and she was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital to undergo a six hour heart transplant. The transformation in Lucy is just incredible and she is suddenly now full of colour, lively, full of energy, able to run around and so well that it is almost unbelievable.

The Sharon Osbourne Show had arranged to interview Lucy's family before she got her transplant. The hope was that by appearing on the show, it would help to raise awareness of the desperate shortage of organ donors and the situation of the families of children who are waiting. They had already filmed Lucy and her family for a full day at home when she got her call and once Lucy was discharged from hospital it was decided to still go-ahead with her appearance, so as to show the amazing transformation that organ donation can bring about.

So off we headed to London for a second day running (I really should live in London the amount of time I spend there these days!). The plan was that we would meet up with our fab friend Clare at Waterloo Station and all make our way to the studio. Then we would report to the doorman at the front of the queue for the audience seats and be ushered through! Well the meeting at Waterloo station all went to plan but then, having decided that Clare and I wouldn't be able to walk the 3/4 mile to the studios, we opted to get the bus. So we waited and waited and waited.....and waited. No bus appeared. Did a bit more waiting, and more, and more.....still no bus. We even resorted to taking photos of ourselves at the bus stop to relieve the boredom.

An hour later we concluded that the bus really wasn't planning on assisting us with our journey towards our momentous TV audience appearance, so decided to find a taxi rank. Strangely enough there was a long queue at the taxi rank. A queue that proceeded to grow and grow, whilst the road was totally deserted without a taxi insight. This indicated one thing...a security alert. Eventually we found out that the whole area had been closed due to a suitcase left under Westminster Bridge. This left only one option....walking. So with a determined air and we headed off for the studios. Funnily enough, as we passed the entrance to the station we bumped into Lucy's family, all just arrived off the train from Southampton and decided we would all make our way down together.

I was expecting South Bank TV studios to be really impressive looking, but actually it looks very much like any other city office block. There was a massive queue already curling its way along the pavement and after waving goodbye to Lucy's family (who were going in through reception) we marched up to the head of the queue and announced with an air of great self-importance that we were "with the Pearson family". However, for some reason (clearly a technical error) the red carpet didn't immediately appear infront of us, nor we were ushered in through some back door with big beefy security guards to keep the crowds from mobbing us. In fact (oh the indignity of it all!) we were told to "wait over there behind the Gala Bingo party" haha!

There then ensued a wait. A long wait. A very long wait. An incredibly long wait. Did they not know who we were?!!! We ended up taking more rather boring photos of ourselves with against a brick wall (who says showbizz isn't glamarous?) After nearly an hour I really couldn't stand any longer and my IV's were also due. Clare and I decided to play the CF card, which did get us just inside the foyer door to sit on a couple of old seats behind the security desk. I proceeded to do my IV's (that got some interesting looks) and Clare proceeded to quiz the security staff on whether they reckoned "Shazza" would like her letter inviting her for squash and biscuits at her new Uni accomodation (quite a normal conversation for Clare, honest....)

Finally 2 hours after we had arrived the word was out that we were going to be let in! I guess I can forgive the fact that they still forgot my red carpet at this stage considering things were running very late. I felt really sorry when I heard that they were going to have to turn away about 200 of the people towards the end of the queue with tickets because too many had turned up! We were very hungry and thirsty by now but finally we were in the building and it was all rather exciting, even though you couldn't see much except big wharehouse-type coridoors and lots of black curtains. We were directed through a set of curtains and there was the stage, with the audience seating infront. It was much smaller in there than I had imagined and the set was incredibly glamarous looking with chandeliers and fancy sofas and pictures on the wall.
I did feel quite important to see we had designated seats in the second row back for our group due to our connection to Lucy's family. I wanted to take pictures, but sadly these were all banned.

Once everyone was seated, we were given our complex instructions on the pivotal role we were to play in the proceedings. This basically consisited of being able to clap. But not just clap, to start clapping when indicated and to stop clapping when indicated. I must admit, I did feel a bit overqualified for this role, but in showbizz I guess you have to be prepared to muck in haha! Whilst all the camera crew and production staff then busied themselves with preparations, we were then subjected to probably the worst warm-up comedian I have ever seen and that (please god) I will ever see again. Unfortunatley he was to continually make appearances throughout the entire filming (during breaks etc). His jokes might have been funny 30 years ago during the quiet season on Worthing Pier, but he clearly hadn't realised that a continual repetoire of jokes about old people, gay people, disabled people and any other minority group in existence, doesn' really suit an audience in 2006. Not only did he manage to be un-funny to the point of extreme irritation, but he made sure he offended nearly every sector of society in the process. It was the kind of toe-curling, cringe-worthy comedy that you might find yourself subjected to by a distant family relative on Boxing day afternoon after half a bottle of sherry.

It was very interesting watching the show being filmed. There was quite a small production team and camera crew involved and it all seemed much more basic in real life than a show appears on a TV screen. There were quite a few retakes of each part, as Sharon kept fluffing her lines and then going "Oh F****!" There was also a somewhat sleep-inducing interview with a member of the audience who had given birth at her local bus stop. She had been flown down from Scotland along with three week old baby to make her TV debut telling Sharon about the baby's momentous arrival at a said bus stop. However she only seemed to be able to answer "Errr yes", "Errrr no" or (most popular) "Errr dunno" to every question Sharon asked her. It has to be said it wasn't that exciting a story to begin with, but thanks to the small range of answerable options, it was worse than watching paint dry. In the end even Sharon had enough and walked off exclaiming "Oh for goodness sake! This is worse than pulling teeth" (which to be fair it was). Sadly I think the woman lost her chance to appear in the Bill on the strength of her performance.

It was great watching Lucy and her family being interviewed on the sofas. Sharon started by introducing each member of the family and, upon reaching 3-year old Ben said "And here's the baby of the family...little Ben!" "I'M SUPERBOY!!!" announced Ben very loudly in reply!! Next they played the film footage taken before Lucy had her transplant, which was very moving indeed. On returning to the studio, Sharon turned to Lucy and said "And Lucy.... What have you got now that you didn't have before?!" "A BOUNCY CASTLE!" exclaimed Lucy, which wasn't quite the answer Sharon had been looking for! It was wonderful to see Lucy wearing her Live Life Then Give Life T-Shirt on the show. It's the first time one of our T-shirts has ever been shown on national TV and was a very proud moment for me. Bev, Lucy's Mum, had wanted to wear hers too, but wasn't allowed to due to TV regulations, but Lucy flew the flag for the LLTGL campaign with true style...Go Lucy!

Finally, two hours after filming began, we were all ushered out onto the street again. I did leave with a feeling that audiences for these shows are treated with contempt. We never even got offered access to a cup of tap water from when we joined the queue at 3pm until we left the studios at 7.30pm. Plus that two hour queue with elderly people and disabled people not even offered the chance to sit down anywhere...thank goodness it wasn't pouring with rain! I know they are offering the chance to watch a TV programme being filmed but it would be nice to feel that they appreciated the audience a bit more (lets face it, they couldn't film without one!) and all of our non-stop clapping and being askd to cheer and laugh at all the right moments. However, seeing Lucy and her family being filmed made it all worthwhile and despite being very achey and exhausted today, I'm glad I went. The show goes out tomorrow (Wednesday) at 5pm on ITV1, so make sure you tune in!

Today has been an amazing day...full of fun, laughter, emotion and friendship, and one I will remember for a very long time. Today was the day of the Women's Hydroactive Challenge in Hyde Park and I felt truly priviledged to be an honoury member of the Emily's Angels' team who were taking part in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. I say honoury because I wasn't actually able to take part in the race (I'd decided that being carted off on a stretcher half way might just have detracted a wee bit from the attention that was quite rightly Emily's today!). I had decided however, that I would do my part by handing out organ donation leaflets to as many unsuspecting spectators in Hyde Park as possible, in the hopes that it would help Emily trade her old lungs in for a sparkly pink new pair as soon as possible. Having said that, her itsy bitsy current lungs need a real moment of appreciation for just what amazing work they performed today, but more about that later...

Anyway, I'd decided that as an Emily's Angel I should look the part and had spent the last week creating my "Rainbow Fairy" outfit (well fairies and angels are pretty similar). Emily actually commented that I looked like a giant sweetiebobble today, which I was incredibly pleased about, because anyone who knows Emily will understand that this is probably the highest compliment one can ever receive. I had spent lengthy amounts of effort this week on such complex tasks as sticking coloured stars on my shoes, customising fairy wings designed for 3-6 year old to fit me (well why on earth don't they extend the age range a bit, come on...don't all 32-year olds want to dress as fairies?!), ensuring that hair bobbles, tights and wands all co-ordinated and even managed to whizz up a pink and fluffy IV line cover last night in a moment of sheer genius.

When I got out of the car opposite the park I certainly attracted a few looks. May be multi-coloured fairies don't normally make their way out of Vauxhall Omega's on Sunday mornings in London. I was busy in the boot of the car ensuring that my pink and fluffy angel rucksack (with its own wings baby!) was well stocked with organ donation promo items when a man approached and asked what I was dressed up for. Actually he asked what "event" I was going to, as if I might not just be off to buy a Sunday paper and a pint of milk. I explained I was going to a fun run (which made me feel seriously sporty for a moment) and he said "Oh right! You look very...um....bright". I'm not sure if he was commenting on my attire or my mental faculties at that point, but seeing as I looked ever so slightly loopy, I sadly doubt it was the latter.

Isn't it how strange that when you are doing something for charity, all the normal rules of behaviour can go happily out the window? I mean, how many times normally would I take off down a busy main road in a capital city dressed like an 5 year old off to a fancy dress kids party having being overdosed on growth hormones? Even when my very short skirt proceeded to keep exposing my pink-and-gold striped bottom (my tights I should point out, I hadn't had it tattooed especially for the occasion...even charity has its' limits....) every time a gust of wind came along, it was all met with a very relaxed and jolly attitude on my part "Ooops! Isn't it windy eh? I've just shown my bum to everyone in Hyde park haha!". I noticed other people sucumming to this "charity loss of inhibition" during the run itself. There were women running for Breast Cancer just wearing their bras. Actually, that's not quite right...they had clothes on the bottom half (think it best I point that out) but just their bras on top. If they had been sauntering through Hyde park on any other Sunday dressed like that, they might just have been arrested.

For some reason, when you are doing something for charity you don't mind making a spectacle of yourself or approaching total strangers in order to make the event worthwhile. I managed to hand out loads of leaflets on organ donation (each one with a donor card inside) simply by launching myself into peoples' paths, smiling sweetly and saying "Can I give you a leaflet please?" whilst making it clear that actually refusing one was not an option. I even gate-crashed whole private picnics mid-conversation by just walking on in and trampling on their sandwiches. You can get away with a lot when you look like a psychedelic bumblebee and are linked to a charity. "OOOOOH I'm so sorry about the sarnies everyone! Never mind, how do you fancy donating your organs when you go? No need to pop your clogs right now, please finish your picnic first. Isn't it a lovely day!" and off I would swoop leaving stunned looks, silenced conversation, a slightly puzzled people clutching leaflets that they never realised they wanted, but which they might just read and fill in after realising that they weren't actually hallucinating......

When we arrived at Hyde Park, we realised we had come in the gates right beside where all the participants were standing, waiting to begin the run. Despite having been advised to avoid this area as it would be congested, it was actually so well organised that I was able to walk along the pavement beside the queue of those taking part, in the hopes that I might spot Emily and her team of 60 Angels. Considering that there were 20,000 people taking part I thought this would be a very unlikely possibility, although I knew that this would be the section to find them if possible, since they were in the "walking pack" towards the end of the huge sea of people. Suddenly I caught sight of a big area of pink on the opposite side of the road. There they were! A very pink and very eye-catching group ladies, all sporting pink wings, tutus, and lots of other angel-esque paraphenalia. After much mad waving and Brad's calling across to them, Emily's Mum noticed us and everyone looked over. But I still couldn't see the leading lady as she was sitting in her wheelchair. I was determined I was simply NOT moving until I had seen her and - with a lot of balancing of tiptoes and craning of both our necks - we managed it and much enthusiastic joint wand-waving and grinning commenced, whilst we communicated telepathic hoops of joy!

We then made our way to meet up with Andy, Lisa and Rachel by the Diana Memorial Fountain. By now my little fairyfeet were feeling a bit fed up and I was exhausted. We managed to get some lunch at a nearby cafe and then Brad and I decided to head over to find the finishing line as we were desperately hoping to catch Emily doing her amazing walk of the final stretch for which she had been training so hard. It's strange how when you are determined to do something, you can ignore your body's normal level of complaining. I've no idea how far it was to the finishing area but it seemed miles to me and I was struggling a bit by the end, but I was so determined I was going to be there that I just didn't care.

We wiggled our way through to get a perfect view of the walkers crossing the finishing line and were just wondering if we could possibly have missed the Angels when suddenly across the tannoy came the announcement "And here come Emily and Emily's Angels! Well done ladies and well done Emily! Emily is in fact waiting for a double lung transplant and she and her team have raised over £10,000!" I screamed "Oh it's them Brad!" and promptly threw everything I was holding at him and grabbed the camera (thereby scattering organ donation leaflets far and wide). I could see a few pink ladies heading towards us but I just couldn't see Emily. Then suddenly I saw that most of the sea of participants had stopped and there was an opening being created in the road, with people standing back in preparation. And suddenly THERE SHE WAS!!!!!!!!! My special, wonderful and totally amazing little friend, dressed head to toe in bright pink, with her oxygen mask on, purposefully and determinedly heading for that finishing line. To say it was emotional is an understatement. Everyone around us seemed to be cheering and shouts of "Emily! Emily" rang out. A moment later there she was, arms in the air, crossing that finishing line!!! I just felt really overcome by it all. One small human being showing the world that she wasn't going to be beaten, no matter how hard things were. Little Emily showing that if she had made her mind up to be the brightest and pinkest fairy in the world and walk that last stretch, then she jolly well would, even if it defined all medical odds in the process. All I wanted to do was run over and give her a massive hug, but I couldn't so I just waved madly and took loads of pictures. That image of Em walking that final stretch will stay with me forever. She really made us all proud.

After a good rest, some restorative chocolate cake and meeting up with my Mum, Dad and Daisy dog, we then made the way all the way back to the fountain to meet Clare, before heading over to where all the Emily's Angels team had gathered for a picnic. It was really wonderful to finally meet so many special friends who I have got to know online but never met before. There was a wonderful sense of camaraderie and friendship, the sun was shining, everyone was smiling and we were in a beautiful setting. Then came the main entertainment show....Behold! Andy dressed as a fairy in order to raise another £600 for the CF Trust! Andy was a real sport and it was a fantastic element to the after-show picnic. It has to be said he was very brave and really entered into the spirit of the occasion...and doesn't he make a beautiful angel too!!!

Finally it was time for everyone to make their way home. I'm sure that, like me, everyone left with memories of a very special day. I always feel there is an extended family relationship between people with CF and their families. We are linked by the fact that we all share a faulty gene, that we all follow complex treatment regimes and we all fight a daily battle against a very challenging illness. However, whilst being brought together by something very serious and often tragic, we were at the same time sharing a wonderful special day of sunshine and laughter, team spirit and friendship, determination and good humour. It was a day that I personally wouldn't have missed for the world.