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As you have probably read on this site, my dear friend Gaz joined the waiting list for a double lung transplant in November 2003. On the 23rd January 2005, after 14 months waiting, he lost his battle to Cystic Fibrosis, having fought it to the last.
Sadly Gaz’s story is not unique, nor unusual. Last year around 400 people died whilst waiting for a transplant. I am now on the waiting list, and have been told there is a 50% chance that I will not get one due to the chronic shortage of organ donors. I have lost many friends over the years who waited in vain for a transplant that never came, and now my life is now also dependant on a family making that decision to donate. Today more than 5,500 people in the UK are waiting for an organ transplant that could save or dramatically improve their life. Most are waiting for a kidney, others for a heart, lung or liver transplant. However less than 3,000 transplants are carried out each year, which when you think 300 new transplant candidates are added to the list each month, leaves room for improvement in terms of organ donation. Now, obviously, we are going to be biased in favour of organ donation, but based on the last set of statistics I was able to find, although around 90% of the population would be willing to donate their organs, less than 17% carry a donor card. The more people who pledge to donate their organs after their death, the more people stand to benefit. There is a desperate need for more donors. Last year nearly 400 people died while waiting for a transplant. One in ten people waiting for a heart transplant will die and many others will lose their lives before they even get on to the waiting list. Numbers just now are shown here: UK Transplant Website Please please take a minute to click the following link (or logo) and become an organ donor. Alternatively, you can call the Organ Donor Line on 0845 60 60 400. Obviously it's not the first thing most people think of when they wake up in the morning, but joining means that in the event of a tragedy, you could help save not just one, but several lives. |
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| Become an Organ Donor! |
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On 2nd March 2006, the Live Life Then Give Life campaign was launched by pwcf Emily Thackray and Emma Harris, to raise awareness of these issues. Click here to support the campaign and buy one of the specially designed T-shirts! |
| If you would like to find out more on Organ Donation, visit here for a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. |