THE parents of a girl who waited eight months for a heart transplant have backed a campaign to change the law on organ donations.

Four-year-old Rosie Day, of Woodham Mortimer, was on the organ donor waiting list from December 2015 to July 2016 after she was diagnosed with heart muscle disease.

A successful donor was found and the operation was a success, but during the wait Rosie was in end stage heart failure and had an eight hour operation to attach a mechanical heart, which caused two brain bleeds and multiple strokes, leaving her with severe brain damage.

As a result, she cannot walk, talk or eat unaided, with parents Barry and Sara having to pay for extensive private rehabilitation not covered on the NHS.

Now, her parents have backed a campaign, launched by the Daily Mirror to change the law on organ donations so that adults are regarded as having allowed organ donation unless they have opted out.

Wales introduced this change in December 2015, with Scotland announcing similar plans in June this year.

Sara Day said: “Rosie was fortunate enough to find a suitable donor and get the heart she needed, but that was after the long wait had caused the significant brain damage, which is why she needs so much rehabilitation.

“If the wait hadn’t been as long, there would be much less damage and she would’ve been able to start school this September.

“Despite all this, we are still the lucky ones. We’ve met many parents whose children just don’t make it.

“This change in the law is vitally needed, we’re one of the last countries in Europe not to have the optout system, and it would help break the taboo around the donation subject.

“Some people just don’t want to talk about it, even less than they want to talk about terrorism.

“There are so many cases when someone dies and were registered, but they families weren’t aware, so they don’t allow it.

“The simple fact is that with more people signed up, the more people can be saved.”

The campaign was launched in June and has more than 10,000 signatures.

The Day family are now paying more than £70 per week for private intensive rehabilitation.

Sara added: “Any donations will be greatly received, and supporting this cause will help save more lives.”

To view the petition search for “Switch to opt out organ donation and save thousands of lives” on change .org.

To donate to Rosie’s treatment, search for rosiesrehabilitation on justgiving.com.