Brother of Hartlepool transplant superhero Mandy Andrews pays tribute after her death aged 54

The 54-year-old has been a beloved figure in the town ever since she had a heart and lung transplant in April 1986.

She passed away in hospital surrounded by her loved ones on Saturday, November 21.

Brother Simon Andrews had flown in from Dubai to share her final hours: “She left us peacefully and quietly, surrounded by her family,” he said.

Mandy was first taken ill during her childhood and seven months after her 18th birthday, became the first person in the North East to receive the life-saving gift of a new heart and lungs in a six-hour operation at Harefield Hospital, in Middlesex, following a six-month wait for a donor.

Her condition deteriorated several years later and she was given a new set of lungs in an operation at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital on her 30th birthday, on September 9, 1997.

She also received a new kidney in 2011.

Mandy was taken ill again earlier this year and spent more time in hospital. She and the family knew she was now living with a life-limiting condition.

"She did manage to come home for a little while but when she was released, she had a leaky heart valve,” said Simon.

"Her quality of life was impaired but she made the decision to come home and spend time with her family and friends. I think she knew she only had a little amount of time left and she did not want to spend it in hospital.

"She made the decision ‘I am going to go home and have time with my son Harry and my little dog Bella’.”

Simon admitted he had feared the worst when he was travelling home but his sister had been determined to say goodbye.

"The doctors wanted to give her some pain relief but she said: ‘I am going to speak to my brother when he gets home, you’re not giving me anything’,” he said.

"They weren’t going to be allowed to give her anything that would send her ‘la-la’.

"We had some good conversations until we had to give her a little more medication to make her comfortable.”

Simon and Harry, 20, were with her when she passed away on Saturday morning.

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