The 44-year-old is no longer putting her life on hold, waiting for a new life to begin - a life where she is not tired, sick, or waiting for a new liver.

In 2010 Narelle says she started to feel abnormally lethargic.

"I talked myself into thinking I had cancer."

Two years later the most common type of liver cancer was found - hepatocellular carcinoma - and a transplant was needed. That was June 2012.

Narelle made her first visit to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney in November 2013 and tests were done to see if she could withstand the transplant procedure. It was during that round of testing that black spots were found on her lungs. The spots would fade and did not effect Narelle's place on the transplant list but during the lung biopsy a side of Narelle's lung was chipped and she was placed on life support for 10 days.

She made it through but other health problems persisted. It was during a medical trip to Newcastle with her husband, Narelle said she started to feel off.

"I told Mark I didn't feel good and I ended up having a fit in the car."

Narelle had epilepsy when she was younger, but hadn't had a fit in 20 years. The incident fractured her back and she was taken off the transplant list for around four to five months.

When back on the list, Narelle waited for 18 months.

"It's hell, it's absolute hell. You sit by the phone 24/7, you carry a transplant bag like a baby, you can't go anywhere.

"It wasn't life, it was wasn't even existence."

Narelle said she was living for her two sons and her husband Mark.

"Those two boys, and my husband, they are my rocks. They were what I was fighting for."

Narelle said she could not have done it without the unwavering support of her family.

"Nothing was too big of a problem, they put up with everything, every emotional turn, just everything."

The ongoing stresses of life further challenged Narelle's health.

During the waiting period she lost her mother and mother-in-law.

It was the day that marked her mother-in-law's birthday when she finally got the call.

"The boys were home, but Mark wasn't," said Narelle.

"I just cried, I didn't know what to do."

Knowing the enormity of the news Narelle had just received, the caller called her back.

They had given her a moment to gather herself, before giving her the instructions of needing to get Mark and to get to Taree airport as soon as possible.

On October 9, 2015 the transplant was done.

The operation took eight and half hours, and Narelle said she was lucky the donor was a match, with blood type, size and other factors crucial to transplant success.

"The medical team were marvellous.

"They didn't just support me, they supported Mark and the boys."

Narelle said her life was now what it should be - lived - and added that she was determined to take care of her health, because now she was living for two.

"I don't know anything about my donor, but I sent a letter informing the family how grateful I am.

"There's no words for what this has given me."

Narelle says she wants to make the most her life.

She plans to do a course in counselling, something she has wanted to do since she was 16.

"Money and materials, they mean nothing to me now."

"When you have your health and a loving family you are a millionaire."

THE latest figures from the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service show there were 127 deceased organ donors in NSW in 2015 - surpassing the previous record of 102 donors in 2013 and exceeding the 2015 target of 116 donors.

In 2015, there were 379 organs transplanted in NSW, with over 350 transplant recipients.

According to a spokesperson from NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service the new figures are encouraging, but with 1,600 people on Australian organ transplant waiting lists at any one time, there is a lot to be done to ensure organ donation and transplantation rates continue to grow. 

For more information go to: www.donatelife.gov.au

laura.polson@fairfaxmedia.com.au