A woman whose incurable lung condition left her virtually unable to stand has been given a new lease of life by an organ transplant.

Doctors have been impressed by the near-perfect recovery of Grazyna Dobosz, who received the organ just six weeks ago.

Following surgery in Newcastle on June 8, the 48-year-old translator is now at home in Roe Lane, Kingsbury, where she told the Observer: "It has been like coming back to normal, it really is like being reborn.

"Before, I was on oxygen 24 hours a day - I had a machine inside the house which fed me oxygen into my nose and the tube was 25ft long.

"It would snag on furniture and I was on a permanent teather.

"The oxygen would not stop me from getting breathless but it would speed my recovery because just standing up would get me out of breath.

"The condition impacted on every aspect of my life and although not life-threatening it was very distressing.

"If you hold your nose and try to breathe through a straw, that is what it felt like."

The respiratory illness, called Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, or LAM, only affects women and leads to the erosion of the function of the lungs.

Grazyna was first diagnosed in 1996 and after a period of few problems, her health began to deteriorate. Last year she was assessed as suitable for transplant and placed on the waiting list.

She said: "My donor was a young man who died of a brain haemorrhage.

"Presumably he was on a life support machine when his family took the amazing decision to allow his organs to be used for transplant.

"I was called on a Saturday evening and told there was a very slight chance of an organ being available.

"I was not expecting it to happen because I have a friend who had 10 false alarms before she had her transplant."

Grazyna was taken by ambulance to Newcastle, travelling at 85mph, and within hours of arrival she was being anaesthetized in preparation for receiving the lung.

She said: "I'm very happy and every-body is happy for me but I'm very conscious that it is only six weeks since this family lost their son.

"I intend to write a letter to them. It will be one of the hardest I ever have to write but I can never be grateful enough to them for making that decision.

"The doctors have told me I am making a textbook recovery but it will still be a couple of months before I can go out in public places because of the risk of infection."

Now Grazyna is determined to raise awareness about organ donation and counter what she describes as misinformation surrounding the issue, following recent debates about a change in the law that would see everyone considered a potential donor unless they opted out.

She said: "I would urge people seriously to consider joining the register and give more consideration to the recipient rather than the donor.

"A lot has been said about the violation of people's rights if the opt-out law is eventually brought in but in a time when people are complaining society is fractured, this really is something incredible that people can do for each other."

For more information about LAM visit www.lamaction.org. For more information on organ donation you can visit the British Transplantation Society website - www.bts.org.uk