CF campaigner Orla fighting for life in US

AN IRISH campaigner who has fought for better services for cystic fibrosis patients is on life support in New York, awaiting a vital double lung transplant.

Orla Tinsley (30), a Kildare-born journalist who now lives in New York, has been too unwell to travel home and is currently in New York-Presbyterian Hospital awaiting news of a potential lung transplant.

The young woman (inset) has campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of cystic fibrosis and has written extensively on the subject.

From hospital this week, she urged people to carry an organ donor card.

She told well-wishers: “I am currently on life support fighting intensely.”

Ms Tinsley said she was hopeful of a transplant this time around, having been called for a transplant on six other occasions only to discover they were not a match.

A number of people in Ireland have sent messages of support to her as she awaits news. She also uploaded a picture of her oxygen mask to social media site Instagram, and said her “entire focus now is on breathing”.

“I am struggling a lot but I am strong and hopeful,” she said. “I’m a ninja. They don’t quit and they are adaptable to all situations.

“They karate chop their way with stealth, fancy footwork and a determined mind.

“I have an incredible team @ nyphospital who are working intensely around the clock to keep me alive. We are hopeful that lungs are coming.”