omeone out there needs a new start
Do you have the heart?
National Transplant Week
4-10 July 2011
National Transplant Week - Only 28% of us in the UK have joined the organ donor register - yet more than 10,000 of us need a transplant. So who's giving them?
The answer is not enough people. The serious lack of donations means 1000 per year are dying needlessly. So the purpose of the week is to draw awareness to the problem and make a change.
Kidney transplants are most common, as well as hearts, livers and other organs. Donated corneas also give people a new way of looking at the world!
So how does it work? Donors are matched according to blood and tissue type. People from the same ethnic group are likely to be a closer match - although people from different ethnic groups usually match just as well.
When you register and get your donor card you can choose which organs you want to donate - but not who they're donated to.
The long-term organ transplant benefits are invaluable. Not only does it give someone a second chance, transplants are less expensive than having to to keep paying for medication that would ultimately only be a temporary solution.
When someone dies, it's really hard to accept that they're gone. But knowing that a part of their loved one will help someone else will be a huge help for the person grieving.
Hearts, kidneys livers and corneas are all vital organs needed by people to survive and go on to enjoy their lives.Click here to join the organ donor register.
So what can you do this July? Last year the emphasis was put on 'Heart to Heart' - spending time with the special people in our lives and reconnecting with the ones we haven't seen in too long.
The theme for 2011 is yet to be announced but in the meantime keeps tabs on the National Transplant Week website to get fundraising ideas and find out more about organ transplants.
Please click to find original article
Transplant Week 2011
4th - 10th July
What Are You Waiting For?
Introduction
We all know it's annoying when you have to wait for something, whether it's for the kettle to boil, the bus or for a parcel. Now imagine having to wait for something that your life depended on....such as an organ.
Currently, there are 10,000 people waiting for an organ transplant across the UK. So for Transplant Week 2011 our campaign will ask 'What Are You Waiting For?' to highlight the plight of those currently on the waiting list.
Transplant Week is a great opportunity to get people thinking about organ donation and signing up to the NHS Organ Donor Register and we want everyone to get involved.
Did you know?
- More than 10,000 people are currently waiting for a transplant in the UK
- On average, 3 people who need a transplant will die each day in the UK
- Waiting times for transplants are high because we don't have nearly enough donors
- It's easy to sign up to the Organ Donor Register, just visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk / or call 0300 123 23 23
- Once you've signed up, you need to make your wishes known to your friends and family
How can you get involved?
Sign up...
If you still haven't signed up to the Organ Donor Register then whilst you are waiting in a queue or for the bus uses your time wisely and sign up then. It only takes a minute.
Don't forget to tell your loved ones you have signed up and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Please click here to register.
Why not tweet...
During Transplant Week we will be asking the nation on Twitter what they're waiting for with hash tag:
#Whatareyouwaiting for?
We want to get #Whatareyouwaitingfor? re-tweeted as much as possible to encourage Twitter users and their friends to sign up to the Register.
So please have your tweets at the ready and remember to keep us posted throughout Transplant Week. And if you don't already follow us on Twitter, why not start today? - follow us here: www.twitter.com/NHSBT
Friend Us on Facebook...
Become our friend on Facebook and be kept up to date with all the activities during Transplant Week. Keep an eye on our wall for event information and let us have your thoughts. What are you waiting for? Does it drive you mad?
What's worth the wait? Let us know!
Pop down...
During Transplant Week we will be visiting seven cities across the UK. If we're visiting your city, tell us where you're waiting and why, and we will try to send you entertainers to keep you occupied while you wait.
If we can't come to you in person, we'll send you a joke or interesting fact to help the time pass. Details of where we are visiting are coming soon. See http://www.transplantweek.co.uk/ for regular updates.
Got a story to tell...
If you've been affected by organ donation in any way and have a story you'd like to share, please get in touch as we'd love to hear from you. Please contact: transplantweek@nhsbt.nhs.uk
To Find out More
Visit http://www.transplantweek.co.uk/ for up-to-date information on Transplant Week. The site will be updated as plans develop so make sure you visit it regularly.
We hope you get involved. What are you waiting for?!
Please click on link to see original article
Signing up for National Transplant Week
Tuesday 28 June 2011
National Transplant Week will encourage people to joint the NHS Organ Donor Register
North Cumbria University Hospitals hosted information stands across the Trust as part of National Transplant Week, which runs from 4-10 July.
There was leaflets and information in the main entrances of the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital to promote organ donation awareness and encourage discussion between partners, families and friends.
Trisha Rose, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation, said: "There is a chronic shortage of donated organs, with approximately 7,900 people on the waiting list.
"Of these, more than 1,000 people die every year before they receive the transplant they need. With more awareness and prior discussion this situation could be improved, as 40 per cent of relatives refuse permission for loved ones' organs to be donated mainly because they don't know what their wishes were.
"The good news is that a record number of people are now signing up with nearly 18 million people currently on the NHS Organ Donor Register.”
There have been a record number of donors nationally following the implementation of the Department of Health's recommendations in all trusts but still more needs to be done to meet the growing needs of the transplant waiting list.
National Transplant Week is run by The Transplant Trust, the leading UK Transplant Charity, and aims to raise awareness and educate the public about the benefits of organ and tissue donation.
Events take place all over the country to highlight the importance of this special week. The Northern donation team, which includes Cumbria, held an abseil event at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle on Sunday 10 July to promote organ donation and transplantation.
To find out more about joining the national Organ Donor Register, visit http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ or call 0300 123 2323