MANY with potentially life limiting conditions have lived to tell the tale.

And the reason is they have been fortunate enough to receive the gift of life.

However, many more whose lives depend on the kindness of strangers - someone who has signed up to the organ donor register so, in the event of their death they can help someone else live, lose their battle to survive.

Often time isn't on their side - people on the transplant list die while waiting as their condition deteriorates too rapidly - while others may not even get the opportunity.

There are currently 6,482 people on the active transplant waiting list, including 155 children, as of November 24 last year. In West Yorkshire 245 English residents were on the active UK transplant list as of November 23 last year.

In 2016 there were 3,713 transplants - thanks to deceased donors, but having that all important conversation with your nearest and dearest if you decide to sign up to become a donor is imperative as families can still say no.

In 2016 3,144 families were asked to agree to organ donation. Although 1,972 supported donation, 1,172 families said no. In countries with mature opt out systems, typically many more families support donation.

The launch of the Government's consultation into a proposed opt-out organ donation system in England could literally make the difference between life and death - giving more people the opportunity of a transplant when their condition dictates.

Sharee Tingle, from Bradford, was born with cystic fibrosis, the country's most common life threatening inherited disease caused by a single defective gene.

Cystic Fibrosis progressively damages the lungs and by the end of 2010 Sharee's lungs were so badly affected she was told she would die without a double lung transplant.

Without the generosity of her donor, a 55-year-old woman, Sharee wouldn't have lived to tell the tale.

Since then she has had plenty to celebrate - including her wedding to her husband Mark in June - and she cannot thank her donor, or her family, enough for saving her life.

"The kindness of a stranger, a lady I'd never met and her family, didn't only save my life, they gave me back my life," Sharee said in a previous interview.

Now she is welcoming the Government's consultation into the proposed opt-out organ donation system for England.

Under the proposed new system you would be a donor unless you don't want to donate.

However, the NHS Blood and Transplant is reminding people that family conversations are still crucial, and urging people to continue to make it clear to relatives that they want to save lives through donation.

The role of families remains crucial in the donation process because they can help with important information not found in their relatives's medical records, for example their lifestyle and travel history. Those conversations will also make things easier for grieving families at a difficult time.

Says Sharee: "I absolutely support the 'Opt Out' system and feel that it will help to save more lives. We as people will always take the time to Opt Out of something that we don't want to do or don't want to be part of, whereas if it's something that you're not against, but it doesn't necessarily affect you, something such as Organ Donation, then as people, I think we have a tendency to think 'oh yes the Organ Donor Register I'll get around to it,' but then life gets in the way and people don't or they forget.

"Regardless of this though, I would still stress how important it is to share your wishes with your loved ones."

Sally Johnson, director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, says: "We welcome the Government's commitment to the lifesaving power of organ donation, which is demonstrated by the desire to hold a consultation into an opt out system.

"We support any initiative which leads to more organ donors and more lives being shared.

"We hope people will join the national conversation about organ donation that the consultation brings. Whatever the consultation decides, make sure your family know what you want. If you support organ donation, act today by telling your family you want to donate and join the NHS Organ Donor Register."

For more information about organ donation and to join the NHS Organ Donor Register visit organdonation.nhs.uk