One year later, last Saturday, Cara used the anniversary to launch her campaign to raise awareness of the simple process of registering as an organ donor.

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“Until my family and I started this journey we had not really given much thought to organ donation,” Cara told News Of The Area.

“I still thought it was a box you ticked on your driver’s license.

“However, I learned it takes two minutes to register, you do it online and most importantly, it could help save a life like mine.

“The next person who may need the help of organ donation could be your loved one,” she said.

Cara has undergone five heart surgeries, in some of which she received donor heart valves, and many procedures to get to where she is today which is a blessing as she was not expected to survive past the age of six years old.

Without a new heart, Cara has been given a timeframe from twelve months to a couple of years left.

Focusing on increasing donor registrations, Cara is hoping to change the statistic that only 30 percent of Australians opt-in for organ donation.

And she’s not the only one in our region that is going through this.

Brian Clarkson, also a Coffs Harbour local, has been on the heart transplant waitlist for eighteen months.

“Brian and I met randomly through a cardiac rehab group at Coffs hospital; we have this every Thursday.

“We started chatting and asked each other what led us to needing cardiac rehab classes and discovered we were both waiting for a heart transplant and were also both under the same transplant team at St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney.”

Brian has been waiting one year and five months.

“It has been quite nice to have someone close by that knows what I am going through and can relate to, it’s not every day you come across another person who also is waiting for a heart to survive,” she said.

This is Cara’s only chance of survival after battling heart disease since birth; Cara was born with a congenital heart condition.

“Unfortunately my story to transplant has been quite complex due to my congenital heart condition and previous five heart surgeries and blood donations.

“We have been told if I do not receive a heart in time I may only have twelve months to a couple of years left which is so hard as there are so many more plans I have for life,” said Cara.

Want the chance to save a life?

Take two minutes and register now at organdonation.gov.au.

Cara thanks her support system of friends and family, who created a GoFundMe page.

“I am not eligible for any financial assistance and unsure how long this journey will take, and if I will ever get a heart and be able to return to work.”

The funds help with trips back and forth to Sydney for transplant appointments, medication and if/when she has a transplant, Cara will need to stay in Sydney for up to three months afterwards to be close to the hospital.

Visit https://gofund.me/bd161c28 to donate.

By Andrea FERRARI