Nicola wants to stage her concerns

Nicola is incensed at proposals to close Harefield Hospital where Professor Magdi Yacoub gave her the organs which saved her life at the age of 13.

She is planning to dig into her savings to hire the De La Warr Pavilion and stage a concert in aid of the campaign to save Harefield.

Nicola was born with a complex series of heart defects which restricted her growth and threatened her life.

Yet even as a little girl in the Brownies in Bexhill fund-raising between frequent spells in hospital in aid of Harefield while she waited for a suitable donor heart and lungs to become available.

Still-frail Nicola shocked her doctors three years ago when she had her daughter. Bringing up Megan while combating continuing ill health - she now has osteo arthritis and the anti-rejection drugs she must always take are damaging her other organs - has meant yet another battle for Nicola.

But, she says she has never been one to quit and Harefield, near Uxbridge, holds a special place in her life.

"They are talking about closing Harefield in 2008. I think they have already made the decision.

"There is a big campaign to stop it. I want to do my bit..."