Sodbury heart transplant patient 'was on brink of death' (UK)

"A heart transplant patient who said his final goodbyes to family and friends at Christmas has returned from the brink of death and dedicated his life to helping other people. Matthew Rumney, who grew up in the Chipping Sodbury area, was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy but until the beginning of 2008 had managed to cope with mild symptoms. Last year, however, his heart began to fail and Matthew suffered agonising angina and a stroke. Doctors gave him less than a year to live. Matthew, 36, said: "I thought 'This is it'. I was determined to make Christmas because I wanted to spend it with my family and girlfriend Jane Harris. "But by New Year I was waiting to die. I said goodbye to family and friends. "Every night I would kiss Jane like it was the last time." For Matthew's family, the trauma was history repeating itself as his younger brother Duncan died of the same congenital heart disease aged just 12" - Gazette