A FEW minutes on-line can mean a lifetime to someone else. That was the message from Queensbury heart-transplant patient Carl Whittaker and surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub at the launch of a new website dedicated to encouraging people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Athlete Carl, 41, received his new heart at Harefield Hospital in 1984, at the hands of the world-famous surgeon. The men launched the website at UK Transplant's Bristol headquarters, and Carl presented Professor Yacoub with a memento of the occasion, a glass heart.

Professor Yacoub said: "I have been really privileged to see at close hand what transplantation can do. You have people facing death who will suddenly come back and be able to enjoy life again. I have also seen people die waiting in vain for organs."

After his transplant, Carl was advised to take things easy. But he had other ideas, took up sprinting and is now one of the most successful members of the British team in the transplant games.

"I was determined to get myself fit and to make sure that I got the most I could out of life," he said. "When I went back for a check up, someone said to me You look pretty fit, why don't you enter the transplant games?'. I thought it was fun and I haven't looked back."

He took part in the British games in Edinburgh in 1985, just seven months after his transplant, running 100 metres in 13.3 seconds, and has competed in every British and world transplant games since. He was the world 100 metres champion in 1995, when he captain the British team in Australia.

Now a coach, Carl came back from the most recent world games, in Japan, with two gold medals and two silver. He is now training for the British Transplant Games in Loughborough from August 29 to September 2.

UK Transplant's website is www.uktransplant.org.uk. For more information, call 0845 606 0400.

July 17, 2002 16:30