DAVE Beckley was staring death in the face until he was given a life-saving heart transplant.

He is now calling on people to come forward to help Rebecca Gambles, who was featured in yesterday's Advertiser.

The 24-year-old mum is in desperate need of a new heart otherwise she will not have the chance to watch her 14-month-old son, Josh, grow up.

Rebecca, of Gorse Hill, suffered a stroke in May, and in September she was told she has only a 50-50 chance of surviving a year. She and her husband Mike are urging Advertiser readers to sign up to the national organ donor register.

Dave, 62, of Ashton Keynes, knows that if a bereaved family had not agreed to allow their loved one's heart to be donated then he probably would not be here now.

The father of two had had early warning signs that he was unwell which should have worried him.

When he was aged 49 he fainted suddenly while playing golf but rather than going to see a doctor Dave said he just had a pint of beer, another cigarette and carried on as usual he didn't even tell his wife, Patsy, 61, what had happened.

But as these fainting spells became frequent he was forced to tell his wife and was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital for tests.

Dave, Patsy and their children Darren, 33, a computer programmer and Kerry, 31, a clinical psychologist, were shocked to discover he had dilated cardiomyopathy a serious disease that affects the heart muscles.

Doctors believed it was the result of an infection he had caught as a boy.

At the end of 2000 Dave had become gravely ill.

He could not drive and could only dream of playing his beloved sport golf.

His GP said he should ask the hospital to be considered for a heart transplant and was referred to a specialist unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.

On May 18 he was added to the transplant list.

The average wait is about six months but just a month later Dave was given a second chance at life.

And since the operation he has a new outlook on life.

"I was so ill for about nine years. I couldn't play golf, I couldn't even walk and had to go around in a mobility scooter," he said.

"You are just desperate for that call to say there is a donor for you."

And when it came Dave was stunned.

"My treatment co-ordinator Sharon Beer said It's a nice morning for a new heart, have you got your bags packed'."

Within four minutes an ambulance had arrived at Dave's home to take him to Birmingham for the operation.

"I was so ill there was no fear about what would happen," he said.

Dave had one of his two-yearly check-ups on Tuesday and doctors told him everything is fine.

He said: "Without this transplant I wouldn't be here, but now I am back leading a normal life.

"I have to take pills to stop the heart from being rejected but I am playing golf three times a week and walking my Irish Setter with Patsy."

The former Advertiser sports editor, who now runs an entertainment agency with his wife, knows how Rebecca is feeling and he is urging people in Swindon to help her.

"I would ask anyone to get in touch to help this girl.

"You could save her life," he said.

"She will be frightened and desperate like I was, but it's not as frightening as it sounds."

  • Donor register THE donor service offers a vital lifeline to thousands of people.

Rebecca Gambles is not alone on the organ transplant waiting list. In the Swindon area there are currently 22 people waiting for an operation.

In Swindon during the 2004/05 financial year there were nine transplants.

And people waiting for a donor can take encouragement from the fact that there are currently 54,709 on the NHS Organ donor register.

In the UK at the moment there are 6,564 people waiting for an organ transplant. Of this number, 94 people are waiting for heart transplants.

During 2004/05, there were 2,242 transplants in total. Of those, 54 were heart transplants.

Any transplant operation carries risks, but the success rate is good.

For heart transplants alone, one of the most complicated operations, there was an 81 per cent success rate after 12 months. After a period of five years, the heart transplant had succeeded in 71 per cent of cases.

Advertiser readers can sign up to the register by calling 0845 6060 400 or visiting www.uktransplant.org.uk