"HANNA, LA ADOLESCENTE BRITÁNICA DE 14 AÑOS, SE NEGÓ A QUE LE CAMBIASEN EL CORAZÓN, Y PIDIÓ UNA "MUERTE DIGNA", SE ECHA PARA ATRÁS, Y LO CONSIDERA".

"Right to die" teenager Hannah

Jones changes her mind".

"South West News Service".

"Hannah Jones with her mother Kirsty, an intensive care nurse, and her father Andrew, an auditor".

"21.07.2009."A critically ill teenager who resisted attempts by doctors to give her a heart transplant has changed her mind and agreed to go ahead with the operation".

"Hannah Jones, who turned 14 this month, decided to go back on the list after doctors reassured her that she had a good chance of a full recovery. They had warned her previously that the operation was risky and that even if it were successful she would need another heart within ten years".

"Doctors tried to have her made a ward of court last November so that she could be returned to hospital against her will after she defied their advice and said that she would rather die at home. Her decision won support from around the world".

"Last week she suffered kidney failure after celebrating her birthday and was back in intensive care. She was told by doctors that circumstances had changed since she was last assessed for a transplant, as she had grown and was stronger".

"Related Links".

• "Dying girl wins fight to turn down transplant".

• "Both heartbreaking and unsettling".

• "In whose best interests?".

"Speaking from Hereford Hospital, Hannah explained her decision to change her mind. “I know I decided I definitely didn’t want this but everyone’s entitled to change their mind,” she said. “I fell ill last Sunday but I just thought I’d overdone it on my birthday. Actually it turned out it was my kidneys".

"The right side of my heart isn’t beating at all, and after lots of tests I realised there were more benefits to having a new heart to staying like I was".

"If I had a new heart, I’d be on less tablets than I am at the moment. I take 27 but afterwards it would only be about 12".

"Doctors at Hereford were unable to put Hannah on dialysis because her heart was not strong enough. She is expected to go home in the next few days while waiting for the transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children".

"Hannah developed a hole in the heart after treatment for leukaemia. She has been in and out of hospital for most of her life but the past eight months at home in Marden, Herefordshire, have given her the respite that she needed to reassess her life. Without the operation, she was told, she could die at any time".

"Her mother, Kirsty Jones, 42, a former nurse, said that she was delighted with Hannah’s change of mind. “I’m absolutely happy to leave the decision to her,” she said, “but I’m glad she made this decision. Hannah’s incredibly brave and we are behind her 100 per cent".

"A friend of the family said: “Hannah’s being incredibly brave, as always. She’s had almost a year without hospital life and now feels strong enough".