“If the tumour grows too big, there is a possibility the operation can't be done,” said the professor, who asked not to be named for ethical reasons.

“We desperately need organ donors - but these situations are often very tragic,” he said.

“So many patients depend on people being kind enough to donate their organs so other people might live.”

He also stressed the hospital's desperate need for blood.

“It's hard to get these donations, especially over the summer months when people are on holidays,” he said.

“Blood stocks are generally quite low. We often use 20 units of blood during there transplant operations.

“This problem of organ donations needs to be highlighted a lot more.

“We try to stress the importance of donations at various times, but the message doesn't seem to get through,” he said.

“Ms Fraser is a women of great courage in the face of a lot of uncertainty.

“She, and many others like her, are doing their best to live their lives in these tough circumstances,” he said.