Elle Grace Morris set to go home after life-saving lung transplant

An 11-year-old girl who moved her doctor to tears with a thank you card is about to return home after a life-saving lung transplant.

Elle Grace Morris was featured in the Cystic Fibrosis Trust's Christmas campaign message last year.

The video showed consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram wiping away tears after reading the youngster's note, which said: "Without your help I don't know if I'd be here today."

Elle's mother, Becky Whitfield, 30, said doctors had been discussing the possibility of end-of-life care for the 11-year-old, who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) at 15 months old.

She said: "When she had the transplant in February we had been waiting just short of a year.

"They had been talking about discussing end-of-life care and where she would want to be. The transplant couldn't have come at a better time."

Elle, from Nantwich, Cheshire, has been at Great Ormond Street Hospital since the double lung transplant, but is expected to be discharged from hospital on Monday and is even hoping to return to school next week.

Ms Whitfield said: "We talked about her maybe going back for a half day but she said 'No, I'll go for a full day'.

"She is quite determined to do it, which is Elle through and through."

Dr Jayaram, who had been treating Elle at the Countess of Chester Hospital, has kept in touch with the youngster while she has been in hospital in London.

Ms Whitfield said: "He has come to visit and said he can't wait to see her when she gets home.

"Elle was really worried she wouldn't be able to go back to Chester hospital now she's better but we've told her she can still go and visit."

When she found out she needed to go on the transplant list, Elle created a list of 10 things she wanted to do before she reached the age of 10.

One of her wishes was to promote organ donation, which is something her mother said she is still keen to do.

She said: "This has actually given us a future, for starters.

"We had been trying to do everything and anything we could with her in case the worst- case scenario happened.

"Now we are looking forward to holidays, she will be starting high school in September like normal, and she will just become active and stronger and can look forward to what she's got to come."

She added: "The effects (of organ donation) are phenomenal because you are saving a life.

"Children are so resilient and it's amazing to see them grow and be able to have that chance at life they potentially might not have had."