Teen whose life was saved by donor liver plucked from plane crash becomes beauty queen

A liver transplant recipient whose donor organ almost perished in a plane crash is taking to the catwalk as a wannabe beauty queen.

Kate Trevener was hours from death when the Cessna plane carrying the vital organ burst into flames after crashing in heavy fog at Birmingham airport.

Kate, who was 18 a the time, had suffered acute liver failure when a donor organ was found and there was a race against time to get the liver to her.

The pilots had cheated death and were hauled from the plane wreckage by a fireman who then risked his life to pulled the charred box containing the liver to safety.

The box was strapped to a motorbike and police closed major roads during rush hour as it was raced to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in November 2010.

Now after the dramatic crash ordeal, Kate is finally on the road to recovery and is now an aspiring catwalk model.

She has reached the finals of Miss Birmingham, and is even gunning for a place in Miss England.

Her change of fortunes is all the more remarkable given that Kate has since had to have a further two liver transplants.

Her body rejected the liver plucked from the plane crash wreckage eight days after a life-saving operation.

A second liver was rejected in 2012 before a third was found and she could finally get on with her life.

Pretty Kate, now 20, said she decided to take part in the competition to raise awareness of the need for organ donors.

She said: "I'm going out to experience the new life I've been given.

"We didn't think there would be a life for me, but my health is the best it has been. I've had no hospital admissions and my blood is fine.

"I saw an advert for the competition and said, 'that would be a giggle'.

"Before I fell ill, I wanted to go into modelling, but my confidence went down.

"I was surprised they got back to me, It's exciting, but I'm very very nervous.

"The bottom line is if I'd not had a transplant I wouldn't be where I am now. Organ donation has been a taboo subject, but if people can see it as an important issue that would be brilliant."

The former fashion student now dedicates her life to campaigning for more donors to come forward.

She will enter the competition on Saturday supported by mum Tracey, and dad Mike at the Crescent Theatre in Birmingham.