A WOMAN who survived a double-lung transplant to sail across oceans, climb a volcano and win dozens of sporting medals is urging more people to sign up to be organ donors.

After suffering 15 lung collapses, Justine Laymond, 42, made plans for her funeral. But a double-lung transplant means Justine, who suffers from an incredibly rare lung disease, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, is able to live life to the full.

Justine, from Broomfield, said: “There’s no cure and it took nearly ten years for me to be diagnosed.

"By the time I was, my right lung had been completely destroyed and my left one only had about 20 per cent function left.

"My lungs collapsed 15 times and, on the 15th time, they tried an operation to help, but this left me in an induced coma for three weeks and I had to be on life support for two months.”

Justine was told her only option was a double-lung transplant.

She then waited 16 months, surviving on oxygen 24 hours a day and was so ill she even started preparing her funeral. 

She said: “The surgeon who did the transplant said that when he opened me up there was basically nothing but dead tissue inside.

"He didn’t know how I had survived, it was literally within the last day of me being alive.”

Now, nine years later, Justine is urging others to consider signing up to be organ donors after it was revealed 58 people in Essex have died in the last five years waiting for a transplant.

Justine has racked up an impressive list of challenges to raise awareness.

She’s just returned from Ecuador, where she climbed the Cayambe volcano. She has also competed in the UK, European and World Transplant Games, and was the first woman with a double-lung transplant to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.

She said: “Still, to this day, I think of the man who saved my life by donating his lungs. It’s a very emotional and humbling experience to be given the gift of life.

“But more people need to sign up to be donors and tell their next of kin about their wishes, too.

"One person could save up to nine people.”

Justine is also raising money for a machine which will help preserve organs for longer outside of the body.

Donate at: www.justgiving.com/JUSTINE-LAYMOND5

Please call the NHS Organ Donor Register – 0300 123 2323.