EARLY last year, Queva Gnffin (13) from Dublin reacted to the news that she might have only two years to live by writing poetry. The Light, her collection of poems, is now available through the Bubble Gum Club, a voluntary organisation which aims to give children who are disadvantaged through health or otherwise "a little bit of happiness".

Queva, who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, which is a degenerative lung disorder, is on an emergency transplant list at Harefield Hospital in England, waiting for a heart and a lung to become available. When this happens there will be less than two hours to get from Dublin to Harefield Hospital once the hospital contacts Queva's family. For this reason the family is contactable around the clock, with both parents carrying a mobile phone and a bleeper.

Queva, who is a second-year student at St Mary's College in Killester, Dublin, goes to school each day for a couple of hours in the morning and again in the afternoon. All the money raised through sales of her book will go into a fund for travelling and other expenses. "My parents will have to stay in England for about three to six months in case of rejection and after care," she explains. The EU has provided £60,000 to cover the operation costs.