IT is a sensitive subject to discuss.

Sharing your wishes in the event of your death with loved ones is probably one of the most emotional conversations you will have but, if you want to become an organ donor, it is imperative you tell your nearest and dearest of your intentions.

Families have the final say when it comes to granting your wish of organ donation, but the decision is made easier, and they are more likely to follow those wishes, if they are aware of them and you have discussed it with them.

Becoming an organ donor is a life-saving gesture and Sharee McPhail, from Bradford, speaks from the heart when she talks about her appreciation of the gift of life.

"Organ donation literally saved my life almost five years ago," says Sharee.

The 31-year-old was born with Cystic Fibrosis, the country's most common life threatening inherited disease caused by a single defective gene.

Cystic Fibrosis progressively damages the lungs and by the end of 2010 Sharee's lungs were so badly affected she was told she would die without a double lung transplant.

Without the generosity of her donor, a 55-year-old woman, Sharee wouldn't have lived to tell the tale. "The kindness of a stranger, a lady I'd never met and her family, didn't only save my life, they gave me back my life," says Sharee.

Nationally, more than 22 million people are registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register and 6,483 people are currently on the UK's active transplant waiting list.

In Bradford 133,748 are signed up to the become organ donors and 60 people are currently on the UK's active transplant waiting list.

According to a poll, four out of five people would consider becoming an organ donor in the event of their death, but only half have ever discussed the possibility with a loved one.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) released the results of the survey in a bid to try to encourage people to talk with their loved ones about their views on organ donation.

The poll, released to mark the recent Dying Matters Week, found that 82 per cent of adults would definitely donate or consider becoming an organ donor.

NHS BT said that too many families faced with the possibility of organ donation for a relative do not know what their loved one would have wanted and have the burden of making the decision on their behalf.

It encouraged people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell their relatives about their decision.

"We know a family is much more likely to agree to donation if they have talked about it with their relative," says Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant.

"Save your family from having to guess what you wanted at a difficult time. With thousands of adults and hundreds of children in desperate need of a transplant and people dying every day because there aren't enough organ donors, we need you to tell your relatives you want to be an organ donor and record your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register today."

Sharee says she isn't surprised by the statistics. "The biggest problem with organ donation is that people sign the register and then, for what ever reason, 'don't get around to it,' 'can't find the words for such a sensitive issue/chat,' people fail to make their wishes known to their next of kin. And it doesn't matter if you're on the register if your family or next of kin say no to donation it's sadly no."

Sharee hopes her story will inspire others to consider becoming a donor. "Without my donor and her family's consent I would have, without doubt, died five years ago.

"A letter I received from my donor's family told me how my donor had always said that she wanted to donate her organs should anything happen to her. Knowing this, they say, made it easier to say yes when approached by the transplant coordinator.

"That talk with your family, however sensitive, is so very important if you want to help someone to live in the event of your own death."

And proving she practices what she preaches, Sharee has already signed up to become an organ donor.

"I joined the organ donor register when I was 16 and made my wishes very clear to my Mum, Dad and Sister. I've since also made my wishes very clear to my fiance Mark. They all fully support my decision and my feeling of if you're willing to accept an organ, you should be willing to donate also. They can have any part of me that's good once I've gone."

To join the register visit organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.