HEART transplant patient John Dolan (pictured here) is treating the staff of Wythenshawe Hospital to a slap-up meal to celebrate the third anniversary of his new heart.

The 62-year old former builder from Nutgrove, St Helens, who is married to Enid and has three daughters, has enjoyed a new lease of life since his operation and plans to lay on a full lunchtime buffet for staff and surgeons at the hospital's Transplant Centre as a thank-you.

He first became ill with rheumatic fever as a schoolboy and in 1980, had to have two heart valves replaced.

However, he told the Star: "I was fine with that for the next 10 years but then I started to get breathless quickly and when I went for a check-up the doctor told me I needed a new heart."

But John, a grandfather of five, hasn't looked back since and now regularly attends keep-fit classes in Sutton and Eccleston, as well as keeping his hand in with his local bowling team.

For the last three years, John has also helped to raise funds for the New Heart, New Start Appeal based at Wythenshawe. Appeal manager Ann Stuart said: "John is one of a rapidly-growing number of men and women throughout the region whose renewed health and zest for life clearly demonstrates the real benefits of transplantation in human terms.

"Unfortunately, there are many others now on the waiting list for a transplant and our ability to give them this second chance depends entirely upon the availability of donor organs and the generosity of donor families."

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