A GARNDOLBENMAEN woman who received a kidney from her younger sister is backing changes to organ donation laws which come into force next month.

There is now less than a month until the change in the organ donation law, which aims to increase the number of organs available for transplantation.

The new law will mean from 1 December, people aged 18 and over who have lived in Wales for more than 12 months and who die in Wales will be regarded as having consented to organ donation unless they have opted out.

The new system – the first of its kind in the UK – will make it easier for people to make their organ donation wishes clear and could lead to a 25 per cent increase in organs donated.

Ffion Dudley, 20, underwent keyhole surgery in March to donate a healthy kidney to her sister, Llio, 21, who was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 2012.

FSGS is a form of kidney disease which meant Llio had to have the transplant sooner than specialists originally thought.

Llio said: “I wasn’t on the organ donor list as, because of my condition, I needed a kidney from a living donor, but going through what we have I now understand the importance of discussing organ donation with your family.

“All my family now are on the organ donors list, what has happened to me and Ffion has completely transformed my way of thinking about this, I never use to think about it before and didn’t want to as it made me feel uncomfortable but I now realise it is so important to talk openly about it with your family."