But she wrote a letter to express her gratitude to the person's family.

Mrs Kolatchew is the recipient of a donated liver.

She knows it was only with the family's consent that she was given the vital organ.

For most of her life, the Charlestown resident suffered from a debilitating liver condition that put her on the top of the organ donation waiting list.

To this day, it is not known what caused her years of pain and agony, including 11 visits to intensive care and twice being put on life support.

'My whole life revolved around hospitals," Mrs Kolatchew said.

"Toxins were going to my brain and I was always yellow around the eyes and had a swollen stomach.

"I couldn't work or drive because of all the blackouts.

"I was waiting to die."

Only a few weeks away from Christmas last year, she received the phone call that changed her life.

At five o'clock on a November afternoon, Mrs Kolatchew answered the phone - it was the Royal Prince Alfred Transplant Institute but she was told not to get her hopes up.

"I got to Sydney at about 8pm and by 10.40 they announced that I was a match," Mrs Kolatchew said.

By 11pm that night Mrs Kolatchew was in the operating theatre.

As the mother of two adult-aged children she said it was good that it happened so quickly.

"The kids didn't have time to get too stressed," Mrs Kolatchew said.

After a nine-hour operation and two weeks in hospital Mrs Kolatchew started to rebuild her life.

"I cried on Christmas Day for the other family - they are such an amazing family," she said.

"It's [the liver donation] the best Christmas present I've ever gotten.

"In all my joy I know they suffered heartache - they are such beautiful people."

Mrs Kolatchew said most people did not realise that when it came to organ donations, the family had the last say.

She it was a sad fact and that was why there were so many people dying on the waiting lists.

"You need to let them [your family] know your wishes; it's important that your family knows," Mrs Kolatchew said.