Donors Saves Lives

Donors Saves Lives

More than 10, symptoms 500 people need an organ transplant in the UK but even children who are prioritised in the matching system still wait on average nearly 6 months. Many die waiting for a suitable match. New research reveals that despite continuing high levels of support for organ donation, medicine just 32% of would-be donors have recorded their intention to donate by joining the register. Joining the NHS Organ Donor Register is the most secure way to record your wishes.

Every one of us can make a big difference. By taking just 2 minutes to sign up to the organ donor register you could well save the life of a seriously ill child or indeed a seriously ill adult.

The Donors Save Lives website and cause has been set up by Philip Barton to specifically raise awareness of childhood transplantation. There is a chronic lack of organs for donation with some children waiting years or simply dying waiting for a new donor organ. They have a target of adding 1000 people to the UK organ donor register which if they achieve their aim will potentially save many more times that number of lives. Please visit their website and help Donors Saves Lives to achieve their aim.

Similarly, medstore we would also encourage people to join the Blood and Bone Marrow Donation Registers. The British Bone Marrow Registry is a division of NHS Blood and Transplant, working in co-operation with the other UK bone marrow/blood donor registries and the NHS Cord Blood Bank. Stem cell donations from cord blood can be made at specialist hospitals within the NHS.

A note of caution – please think long and hard before joining the Bone Marrow Register. There have been instances where people have joined and have been called upon to donate Bone Marrow only to say that they do not wish to go ahead with the donation. Families depend on finding a suitable match and it is heart-breaking to a family who find a suitable match only to be told that the person is unwilling to donate.