Transplant girl with another mountain to climb says...

A BRAVE Wyre Forest teenager is attempting to scale one of Britain's tallest peaks - just months after undergoing a lifesaving liver transplant.

Charlotte Worton, of Stourport, is set to walk to the summit of Mount Snowdon on Saturday to raise money to say a "big thank you" to staff at Birmingham Children's Hospital's Liver Unit.

The youngster was diagnosed with auto-immune hepatitis, a rare illness which causes a chronic inflammation of the liver, four years ago.

Earlier this year doctors believed she may have had only a month to live without a transplant and she underwent a seven-hour operation in April.

Just one in 100,000 people develop the condition in Britain each year and only five per cent of those ever need to undergo a transplant.

The 14-year-old said her life had been "transformed" since the operation and she was doing the climb to show the staff at the hospital how grateful she was.

She explained: "They have just been absolutely fantastic.

"The climb was just an idea that came up in conversation. I have never done anything like this before but I am looking forward to the challenge."

Charlotte was waiting on the transplant list for three months before she received the call that a matching organ had been found.

Doctors later told the teenager that her liver was so badly damaged they had estimated she would have only survived for another month if a match was not found.

She said: "It came as a massive shock when I was first told that I would need a transplant because when I was diagnosed the doctors told me it is really unusual for people with auto-immune hepatitis to need one.

"I was lucky a match was found. Because of my age it was more difficult to find an exact match due to the size of the liver.

"I will never forget the moment the call came through. It was 10.15 on the night of April 15. I felt so many different emotions.

"It is difficult to describe because part of me was relived and happy but then another part felt very nervous and scared."

Sandra Hudson, Charlotte's mother, said she was "so very proud" of her daughter and how she had coped with the ordeal.

She added: "Charlotte has been through so much during her young life but she has always remained upbeat about things.

"The doctors have told us that one of the main reasons she has come through all of this is because of her bubbly personality."

The youngster, who lives in Ash Grove, returned on a permanent basis to Stourport High School yesterday for the first time since the operation.

She said: "I used to find it difficult to go out with my friends because the illness would make me feel tired all of the time.

"One of the best things is that I don't feel like that any more so I can do all the stuff that I want to without always wanting to go to sleep."

More than 20 family members and friends, including her parents, will join Charlotte on the climb up the 3,559ft Welsh mountain, Britain's second biggest peak.

Her father, Philip Worton, admitted he found the task daunting but is determined to complete the mission.

He explained: "Only one of the group has ever had experience in this type of thing before so it will be hard.

"It is so important to us because I simply can't put into words how amazing the care and support that Charlotte has received has been."

Anybody wishing to sponsor Charlotte's mission can call Philip Worton on 01299 823581.