SAYING thanks did not seem enough as Holly Ralph wrote an emotional letter to the family of the donor who transformed her life, which had been crippled by cystic fibrosis.

The 41-year-old double lung transplant recipient knew Australian privacy laws prevented deceased donors being identified and that the odds were stacked against her meeting the relatives.

But last year, as Ms Ralph spoke at a twilight memorial ceremony in Perth, little did she know that in the audience were the family who helped her to breathe and walk again.

Only moments after images of a young and happy Kathryn “Kat” Jones flashed on a giant screen in an honour roll of deceased donors, Ms Ralph mentioned that she had just celebrated her first “lungiversary”.

The Jones family realised that the fit and healthy woman on the stage had the lungs that once belonged to their much-loved daughter and sister who died in early 2016.

“You’ve given me my life,” an emotional and tearful Ms Ralph later told them.

She is one of three West Australians featured in an Australian documentary, Dying to Live, which tracks the waiting game of six people needing donor organs.

WA filmmaker Richard Todd, keen to boost Australia’s lagging transplant rates, had crew on stand-by in every State to follow each patient’s progress.

Every year about 2200 potential organ transplant opportunities are missed in Australia.

About 1400 people wait for the phone call that could change their life but 150 of them die waiting.

In the film Ms Ralph, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was two, is hooked up to oxygen before her transplant, with a lung capacity of less than 30 per cent.

She celebrated her daughter River’s 21st birthday a year early because she did not think she would be alive for the milestone.

But after her double lung transplant at Fiona Stanley Hospital in 2016, Ms Ralph’s recovery has been so remarkable that she is competing in charity fun runs. River Ralph, now 22, said this week that she and her younger sister had also been given a gift of life — a “new” mum who could travel and enjoy life with them.

“I know the donor family and recipients are not meant to meet, but Mum was so glad she could thank them, and they were all hugging one another,” she said.

“It’s been very emotional for all of us.”

The film also tracked Peter “Woody” Wood from Cowaramup, who received his third kidney transplant after waiting for seven years on dialysis.

After initially being at risk of organ rejection, he made a strong recovery and is back riding his much-loved motorcycle.

After finding out his donor was from Queensland, Mr Wood felt an even stronger liking for bananas.

But some WA patients with failing organs are yet to go down the transplant path, including Perth mother-of-two Kate Wingrave, who admits she is worried about the risks. The 47-year-old was diagnosed with a rare, terminal lung disease about eight years ago and relies on oxygen to help her breathe.

“I’m technically ready to be on the transplant list but haven’t gone on yet because of the age of my kids and because it’s a pretty scary prospect,” Ms Wingrave said.

“But staying like this comes with its own risk, and while I’m on a trial drug and have stayed stable I can’t work any more and there are a lot of horrible side effects from the drugs.

“I just hope more people realise that organ donation is an amazing special gift to people who haven’t done anything wrong and have just been unlucky to have a disease.”

The film will screen in Perth and regional areas from this month, with details at au.demand.film/dying-to-live.
Register as an organ donor at donatelife.gov.au