AN incredible 10,000 people in Notts have pledged to donate their organs after death following a campaign to boost numbers.
The Post backed the drive to encourage more people to "be a hero" and join the NHS Organ Donor Register. And since its launch in January, medical staff have been thrilled to see the figures rocket.
Carol Donaldson lost her son James nine years ago at the age of 24 and his organs were used to save the lives of four people – including a ten-year-old boy.
Carol, of Keyworth, said she was overwhelmed by the impact of the Be a Hero campaign. "I have been watching this campaign from the start," she said. "The impact has been remarkable and I am very proud to have been a part of it."
Liz Phillips, 48, of Retford, whose husband, Rick, donated his organs, knows just how important it is that people sign the register. In a cruel twist of fate, Liz's youngest daughter, Jade, 20, has been diagnosed with auto-immune liver disease and may need a new liver.
About 7,300 people are on the transplant waiting list in the UK. In Notts, more than 150 people are waiting for an organ transplant.
The news comes at the start of National Transplant Week.
Charmaine Buss, specialist nurse for organ donation at the Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which runs the QMC and City Hospital, said: "Joining the register helps families to know that their loved ones wanted to transform the lives of others."
