THE family of a girl who faced the same life and death trauma as heart transplant patient Emma Standish is sending a message of hope to her parents.

Sally Slater, aged seven, underwent a heart transplant operation in April at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle -- the same hospital where 10-year-old Emma is fighting for life after surgery on Saturday.

There are many parallels between Emma's case and that of Sally, whose quest for a new heart hit the headlines earlier this year.

Both girls suffered cardiomyopathy after a virus damaged their hearts and their conditions quickly deteriorated.

Doctors warned their families that the only chance of survival would be a transplant.

Sally, then aged six, of Malham, North Yorkshire, was given just hours to live and her family launched a nationwide appeal for a donor.

At the 11th hour, with Sally seriously ill, relatives of a person who had just died had the courage to offer their organs for donation.

Sally's grandmother, Barbara Slater, told the BEN how they had several days' anxious wait, with the fear of Sally's body rejecting the new heart and the risk of infection.

But the little girl made a remarkable recovery and just two months later she was allowed home.

Sally is now back at school with her friends and enjoying a full life.

Barbara said: "She is a member of the Brownies, goes swimming, horse riding and everything."

Sally, who often can't understand the media fuss made of her, now enjoys living a normal life is today travelling to London to collect a "Children of Courage" award.

Barbara told the BEN she "went cold" when she read about Emma's plight at the weekend, bringing back many memories for her family.

Now she is planning to get in touch with Emma's mum, Deborah Cartwright, who is keeping a constant watch over her daughter, to offer support and understanding.

Barbara said: "I am thinking about them. I shall say my prayers for them and all I can say is 'hang on in there.' Children are so resilient.

"I hope they get as much good fortune as we did."

She also stressed that Emma could not possibly be in better hands than the staff at the Freeman Hospital.

She said: "They are an amazing group of people."

Today, Emma's condition was described as critical but stable by a hospital spokesman.