Save a life - Organ Donation
JOIN THE ORGAN DONATION REGISTER AND HELP SAVE A LIFE
Every day three people in the UK die waiting on an organ transplant.
Scotland needs to more than double the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register by 2013 in order to help reduce this stark statistic.
Ninety-six percent of people say they would accept an organ but only 27 percent of people have actually joined the Register, and yet you are more likely to need an organ transplant than become an organ donor.
There are currently more than 10,000 people in the UK who are in desperate need of a transplant and this figure is increasing every year.
Signing up can be the easiest thing you do to help save someone's life. Nobody likes to think about dying or losing a loved one, but by registering as an organ donor, you can help save lives after your death.
Lilly Turley lost her son Daryl in February 2009 after he suffered head injuries when knocked down in a road accident. Lilly and her husband Davy made the decision to donate his organs to help others. Daryl's heart, kidneys, liver and bowel were all transplanted saving the lives of five people.
Lily now urges people to sign the Organ Donor Register and help save lives, just as Daryl did. She said: "I wanted to make sure something good came out of something so tragic. It's a positive way I believe. I've never, ever, had second thoughts or regretted it. If you are going you are going, don't waste those organs."
Claire Riley knows what it is like to receive the call that can change your life. She received a liver transplant in 2004, aged just 27, after suffering from chronic liver disease. The mum-of-two has been able to go on and live a normal life, running around after her two young sons.
She said: "Someone sadly had to pass away for me to live but that person had selflessly joined the NHS Organ Donation Register and was able to help save me. Being given the gift of life has allowed me to live a full life, free of pain and anxiety. I have been able to go on and have a family of my own. I would urge everyone to join the Register and help let others live after they die. It's the easiest thing you can do to help others."
John Forsythe, lead clinician for organ donation in Scotland, said we need to increase numbers on the register to help save lives.
He said: "There are more than 10,000 people waiting on a transplant in the UK and every day three people die before they get the organ which could save their life.
"You are more likely to need an organ than donate one and we need to tackle the shortage of organs for transplantation to help save lives. It could be you or a member of your family that needs an organ transplant so sign the Organ Donor Register now."
To join the Organ Donor Register visit www.infoscotland.com/organdonor or text "Life" to 61611.
ENDS.
Audio Features
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PLAY > LM Organ Donation 1.mp3
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