Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit joins lung transplant list
What's new: Doctors called her condition life-threatening after a sharp decline in lung function over recent months.
Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant after doctors reported a steep worsening of her pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable disease that scars the lungs and limits oxygen intake. The 52-year-old royal has suspended official duties and will undergo surgery as soon as a suitable donor is found. Professor Are Holm of Oslo University Hospital said her condition had deteriorated significantly over the past six months, with lung function dropping considerably in the last three months. The palace described the illness as life-threatening. Doctors said a transplant is considered only when a patient is sick enough to need it but healthy enough to withstand the operation and recovery.