A woman who was given only hours to live after a virus attacked her heart is marking 25 years since the operation which saved her life.

Hannah Swift was just nine-years old when she caught a viral infection that caused her heart to swell, then fail.

Her parents, Carol and Frank were told only an emergency heart transplant operation could save her.

Miraculously, when doctors in Leeds phoned the heart transplant centre to put Hannah on the waiting list, they were told a heart had just become available that was the perfect match for her.

“When they got off the phone they told my parents the good news is we’ve got a heart, but the bad news is it’s in Newcastle,” said Hannah, 34, from Helmsley. “They didn’t think I would live long enough to get there so they closed the A19 and Tyne Tunnel to get me there.

Hannah was given her heart by a Newcastle girl who was killed in a road accident on her 13th birthday.

The girl had specifically told her family that she wanted to donate her organs in the event of her death, and she saved four lives by giving away her heart, liver and two kidneys.

Hannah made a full recovery but at the age of 14, she faced another battle for life after she contracted cancer of the lymph glands, caused by the anti-rejection drugs she was taking for her new heart.

Hannah was given just weeks to live, but underwent six months of chemotherapy and is now clear of the disease.

Despite the set-backs Hannah went on to complete a beauty therapy course at York College and set up her own business, Beautilicious.

“I love my job and I try to get on with my life as much as I can, however I am at risk of picking up infections which can effect me six times worse than other people,

Hannah said: “There hadn’t been much research the effect the operation had on people, especially children, but 25 years on here I am living as full a life as I can.”

Since the operation, Hannah has competed in the British and World Transplant Games winning gold, silver and bronze medals.

She said: “My transplant has given me a second chance at life and I hope that the same can be done for others.

“But a lot of people who need organs don’t get them .

“You can’t take your organs to heaven, so why not leave them behind for others?”

Hannah said it was important for people to speak to their loved ones about organ donation.

A change in law last year means that all adults in England are now considered to have agreed to be an organ donor, unless they’ve recorded a decision not to donate or are in an excluded group.

But relatives will still be consulted before any donation goes ahead.

Hannah said: “Knowing what your relative wanted helps families make their decision around organ donation at what is often a difficult time,

“We need more people to talk with their loved ones about organ donation to give them the certainty they require to support their decision and help increase the number of lifesaving transplants.”

“It is one of the most self-less acts any on e can do.

“It is also important that people realise a transplant will give the recipient not just a few days but the chance to live a lifetime.”

l For further information and to register your decision, visit organdonation.nhs.uk. People can also use the NHS app.