KIDNEY patient Mau-reen Hendon is embarking on an around-Britain yachting quest to promote organ donation.

Now waiting for her fourth transplant, Maureen, from Llewellyn Grove, Newport, is joining ten other patients and four sailing experts on one leg of the yacht's three-week journey.

Starting on September 1 and stopping at various ports, including Milford Haven in Wales, the crew hope to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.

In her role as secretary of the Welsh Kidney Patients Assocation, Maureen has already completed a fund-raising abseil and sky dive and is taking to the seas having discovered during a particulary bumpy Irish Sea crossing a lucky immunity to sea-sickness.

First-time sailor Maureen has been waiting for two years for her fourth transplant and the strain has forced her to take early retirement from her job as electoral officer for Monmouthshire County Council.

Her first kidney lasted five years, the second retains about five per cent function and the third had to be removed five days after being transplanted having developed a blood clot.

All this means Maureen is constantly tired and has to dialyise for eight hours every night, although her doctors have said she can change her routine to accommodate a two-night trip on the yacht.

She is determined, however, not to let her illness get her down.

To help raise money for the trip, Maureen and other members of Esporta, in Cwmbran, are being sponsored to row on a machine the equivalent of one leg of the round-Britain journey - 185km.

Anyone who would like to help the cause can contact Maureen on 01633 855989.