TWO heart transplant patients from the same family have joined forces to call for a change to the UK's transplant laws.

Both Steven Paterson, 35, and his uncle John McCafferty were given new hearts after developing the same deadly condition, dilated cardiomyopathy.

This year John, 70, celebrated the milestone of being the UK's longest surviving heart transplant patient. It is 30 years since he had the operation.

Seven years later, his 12-year-old nephew was rushed into hospital for his transplant.

Both, know they are lucky to be alive.

Figures show around 1000 people die each year waiting for a transplant.

They are backing calls for a change to an opt-out system of organ donation to help save more lives.

Steven is supporting the Evening Times' Opt for Life campaign for a change to Scotland's transplant laws.

And John, who is originally from Shotts in Lanarkshire but now lives in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, is planning to lobby politicians south of the Border about a change in the law there.

John said: "Despite all the advertising by this and previous Governments, there still remains a major, if not a critical shortage of human organs for donation.

"When I look upon the faces of those parents of children awaiting a donor organ, praying that a donor will come along to save their child and give them a second chance of life – When I look upon the worried face of that husband or wife also awaiting a donor – then I know, whatever the cost, the type of organ donor scheme which the country is crying out for, is that of "Opt-out".

Steven, a hospital radiographer from Larkhall, developed dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart muscle, at the age of 12, after suffering a viral infection.

He was treated at Yorkhill, then transferred to London to be tissue matched for a transplant. Luckily for Steven a match was found very quickly.

Steven had a domino transplant, where a patient who is undergoing a transplant also donates an organ.

His donor was a young man suffering from Cystic Fibrosis, who needed a lung transplant.

Steven, who is married to Allison, 28, said: "It was easier to do a heart a lung transplant.

"He got a new heart and lungs and I got his heart."

The pair kept in touch for two years until Steven's donor sadly died two years later after developing complications.

"For the two years that he survived I got to know him," said Steven.

"His parents are now over in Australia, and I have been to see them."

Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common diagnosis in patients referred for cardiac transplantation.

About two in 10,000 people in the UK develop it each year.

The condition causes heart failure and can be passed on in families.

However, doctors told Steven his case was not genetically linked.

Steven said: "It seems to have been a coincidence.

"It's really encouraging to know how well my uncle is doing and it's good to have that support.

"When he had his 30th anniversary I went down to see him."

John began to feel unwell at the age of 39 and was diagnosed with the condition soon after.

He had his transplant on October 20, 1982, only the 41st time that doctors had performed it. He said all the 40 people operated on before him are now dead.

He was given five years to live when he had his operation in 1982 at the famous Harefield Hospital in Middlesex.

John said: "I am astounded and slightly shocked that I have managed to get as far as I have.

"In those days, it was still very much experimental surgery and the longest which someone had ever lived was two years.

"I thought at least I might be lucky enough to see my son grow up, that's the only goal that I had."

The surgeon who performed his transplant, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, is also a firm supporter of opt-out, which is already in place in at least 28 countries in Europe.

He established heart transplantation in the UK and became the world's top transplant surgeon.

caroline.wilson@ eveningtimes.co.uk