On September 21 the neighbourhood of Horta in Barcelona will host the "http://www.nickspa.com/pagina/cursa/cursa" Nick Festes d’Horta race dedicated to liver transplantation at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR). The organizer, María José Moscoso, shares her experience during the last 8 months after the liver transplantation and presents the latest news of the race. How did you receive the call from the hospital?Like if I was in a movie… I was blocked when the doctors told me that they had a liver for me. Although it was the long-awaited call, I was shocked. Fortunately, I didn’t have time to think about it. I took a shower, packed a few things and went to the Vall d’Hebron hospital. After some tests and screenings, I underwent surgery on October 5. Everything went very quickly. What do you remember about those days?It was a mental experience with very strange feelings. At the ICU I didn’t know if I had pain, but a few days later, I felt a severe back pain. Besides the pain, I felt lost, I didn’t know where my body was and the treatment to prevent rejection made me nervous, raised my pulse and caused me tremors. At the beginning I felt strange things. When did those feelings stop?When I decided to change the story, stopped fighting and started to accept my new liver instead. The most beautiful moment that I remember was when a few days after the surgery the doctor took me to the ultrasound scan room. I was crying because I knew that if something went wrong, the doctor would realize it in that test. Once in the room, the doctor touched my shoulder and explained to me, while we were watching the liver, how it worked. I felt that touch as an embrace and the good news as a miracle. I couldn’t believe that everything was ok! That was 8 months ago. How are you now?I’m fine after all that I’ve went through. I had hard moments, both emotionally and physically. The organ works perfectly and I only have a problem with the bile duct. Because of that, I have a catheter that it is a little bit uncomfortable, especially when I practice sport. Despite everything, I keep my normal life and people who know me, but didn’t know anything about my disease, don’t believe that I had a liver transplant. Why do you encourage people to run for liver transplant research on September 21?I feel that I must help all the people who have been with me and the Catalan public system of health. I know that my surgery was extremely expensive and I consider my duty to compensate somehow all the things that the doctors have done to keep me alive and healthy. When you experience something like this, you see the world differently and realize that there are people who are worse than you. All funds collected in the race will be given to the research in liver transplant at VHIR with the aim to improve the treatments and the patients’ quality of life. Which are the main novelties for this 5th edition?Simultaneously to the 5km race, there will be free special race for young people and children with Down syndrome or any other disability, and to children under 10. They will join the race in the last 1.5km. Last year you collected nearly 5,000 euros, which is a significant contribution to research in organ transplantation at VHIR.Yes, and we do really hope to collect more funds this year!