Walk the talk on CF

Busselton cystic fibrosis advocate Jackie Fraser has urged the Capes community to “Walk the Talk” for organ donation this Valentine’s Day.

Mrs Fraser and Conquer Cystic Fibrosis volunteers will band together at Burs-wood Park in Perth to walk 10km on February 14 in an attempt to open up organ donation conversations.

Mrs Fraser, 29, has spent her life debilitated by cystic fibrosis and said the event was an important opportunity to honour donors and their families after she received a life-saving bilateral lung transplant in November.

Without the transplant, Mrs Fraser, pictured, said she would have died before her 30th birthday.

“No words are powerful enough to express my gratitude to my donor’s family, so instead I will focus on enjoying this second chance and continuing my advocacy for CF research and organ donation at any opportunity,” she said.

“I’m so lucky to be breathing deeply for the first time and planning a future with my husband,” she said.

Walk the Talk was founded by Conquer Cystic Fibrosis committee member Rita Pahl after she was inspired by Mrs Fraser.

“Jackie is an amazing young woman who had the world at her feet but this disease was drowning her one day at a time until she received the most amazing gift possible,” Ms Pahl said.

“Jackie’s lung function was under 20 per cent, she was attached to oxygen 24 hours per day and her future was looking bleak until she received that call for new lungs,” she said.

Mrs Fraser’s 10km walk will be “a testament to the importance of raising awareness of organ donation” and to ensure the latest equipment is available for those waiting for a life-saving transplant.

According to DonateLife only one third of Australians are registered donors despite 69 per cent of the population believing registering is important.

Mrs Fraser urges people to record their own organ donation wishes through the DonateLife website.

The walk begins at 7.30am.

Visit face book.com/ConquerCystic Fibrosis.