A 49-year-old former coach driver is facing months in hospital as he waits for a life-changing heart transplant.

Mark Wildego from Pinehurst says a new heart is his last chance.

But it will be an agonising waiting game because a donor heart could be available next week or it could take months.

He said: “The doctors told me I could be waiting for six to nine months. It’s not something you can buy at the supermarket.

“You have to wait for it to happen and I have to stay at Harefield hospital until a donor becomes available.”

Mark featured on the Adver in 2009 when he bungee jumped to support military charity Help for Heroes.

He was diagnosed with left ventricular systolic dysfunction after he started hyperventilating last year. This means his heart’s left ventricle is weak so the heart can’t pump the blood around the body with enough force.

An adult heart pumps around five litres of blood a minute but tests showed that Mark’s was only pumping two-and-a-half litres.

But despite this devastating diagnosis, the former Barnes employee has maintained a remarkably positive attitude.

He said: “My motto throughout my life has been ‘you can’t cry over spilt milk’. It’s happened. You either face it or you dwell on things and that makes you ill.

“It’s a major life-saving operation but you have to keep a positive mindset. There have been down moments but you have to keep your chin up.

“I’m coping OK. I have four walls, there’s a common room with games and all the nurses are fantastic. They go out of their way to be helpful. One nurse even bought me some shopping before her night shift because I couldn’t get any deliveries to the hospital.”

But Mark also acknowledges the seriousness of his condition. “It’s the last option they have really.”

Tablets, a pacemaker and a defibrillator have all been ineffective so far. A week after the pacemaker and the ICD were fitted, he found he was short of breath again. He has been in and out of hospital over the last year, both for suspected heart attacks and different tests.

He misses working and hopes to return to Barnes after his operation. “I’ve worked all my life and I missed working during furlough. If I can go to work after then I’d like to do that. It’s a family business and they treat you like a family so it’s a really nice environment to work for.”

He found out that he inherited the condition from his mum who died when she was 47, two years younger than he is now.

His case has highlighted the importance of organ donation and he is encouraging people to visit the NHS website organdonation.nhs.uk to find out more information.