The last thing she said to me was 'I love you'

THE devastated mother of a brave teenager who died two years after undergoing a lifesaving heart and lung transplant told today of her daughter's heartbreaking dying words – "I love you".

Eighteen-year-old Claire Millar had been living a normal, active life since her life-changing operation in May 2006 and was looking forward to a career in childcare.

But the teenager died in St John's Hospital in Livingston on Monday after her body rejected her new heart and lung.

Her mother Dawn Millar, from Deans in Livingston, spoke of the heartache of losing her "whole life", especially when her daughter had been making such a good recovery.

She says doctors are "baffled" as to why Claire's body rejected the organs two years after her transplant.

The teenager, who celebrated her 18th birthday at the start of the year, took ill in January and spent a week at the specialist Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

But five days after she left hospital, she became unwell again and was re-admitted with heart and lung rejection and pneumonia.

She spent another six weeks in Freeman where doctors "did everything possible" to treat her condition, but on March 13, a seriously ill Claire decided to go home, knowing that she would only have a short time to live.

After becoming ill again over the weekend, she was rushed to St John's on Sunday morning and died the following day with her mum, dad, sister and grandad by her side.

Ms Millar, 42, said: "I sat with her throughout the night, I never left her side right up to the very end. Before they started to administer the morphine she said to me 'in case I don't get the chance, I want to tell you that I love you'.

"She knew herself, and she just wanted to say those words because she knew she wouldn't get the chance again.

"I told her how much we love her and told her it would be fine, but she knew.

"She was one of those children who used to say she was frightened to die, but when it came there was no fear there at all, it was peaceful."

A former pupil at St Margaret's Academy in Livingston, Claire was studying childcare at West Lothian College and had been told that if she kept healthy and continued with her medication, she could live as long as any other teenager.

It was an emotional landmark for all the family when Claire, who was born with a rare congenital heart disorder, turned 18.

Ms Millar said: "After the transplant we thought that was her, she would have her whole life in front of her.

"It's absolutely devastating, I can't describe in words how I feel.

"I lived on my own with Claire and she has left such an empty hole.

"She was my whole life. The doctors don't know why it happened, they're baffled by it.

"Usually rejection happens within the first couple of months to a year."

She added: "Claire's doctor, Dr Parris, came every morning to see her and I can't praise him enough."

Claire's funeral took place today at St Andrews Church in Livingston, where her friends and family were instructed to turn up wearing pink – Claire's favourite colour.

Her mum added: "She loved pink.

"Everybody has pink flowers, the women were told to wear pink tops and the men pink shirts and ties. Her life revolved around pink so we thought it was so Claire.

"She will have a chuckle to herself watching all the men wearing pink."