A Carlisle based man has explained his story of having heart transplant surgery and the importance of organ donation.

John Braidwood, 63, has shared his experience to raise awareness around the importance of organ donation after you die.

Mr Braidwood said: "I am living proof that those conversations are necessary and well worth it. Because of a discussion that gave me a heart, I was able to attend my son’s wedding just nine months later."

John, who was originally from Hamilton in Scotland, now lives in Carlisle and has a wife and two children.

He has always been a keen sportsman and did his best to stay active.

However, he was born with a hereditary heart condition causing his heart to thicken over time which could in some cases cause his heart to stop.

Mr Braidwood said: "At the age of 45, my condition deteriorated and after being a dentist at the Cumberland Infirmary for 36 years, I had to retire early 4 years ago.

"After trying all sorts of pacemakers and such, I ended up at the freeman hospital and my only option was a heart transplant.

"I was in the freeman hospital for nine months continually, one day I asked the consultant how I was doing, and they said ‘we need to get you transplanted in soon, time is running out."

John had three near transplants before his actual operation.

Despite being on the urgent list he had to wait nine months before he was able to get a suitable organ.

John’s donor was a young man who had a ‘what if’ conversation with his mother.

This conversation then helped in the process of saving John's life.

Jacqueline Newby, Specialist Organ Donation Nurse, NCIC said: "We can prepare for a heart to match but the reality is, we can’t be certain until it’s been retrieved from the donor.

Heart transplants are challenging for a number of reasons firstly is they need to be retrieved from the donor and in the recipient within a four hour window.

John has made a strong recovery and has since managed to climb Helvellyn.

His children who now live abroad both have the condition and are monitored by Freemans Hospital in Newcastle.