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Yorkshire campaign for hero organ donors

The Trust's hero mascot walks down Briggate.

The Trust’s hero mascot walks down Briggate.

By Caroline Grandjean

A campaign is being launched to find more organ donors with 800 people in Yorkshire currently in need of an organ transplant.

Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust (LTHT) is urging more people to become organ donors with its new Be A Hero campaign, which will be launched with an event at Trinity Leeds this Friday.

More than 10,000 people in the UK are currently waiting for a transplant, and around 800 live in Yorkshire. The campaign aims to encourage Yorkshire people “step up and be a hero” by having a discussion with loved ones about their wishes regarding organ donation.

Dr Simon Flood, one of the Clinical Leads for Organ Donation at LTHT, said: “We are proud to launch the Be A Hero campaign and discover real life heroes across Yorkshire. Last year, just over 100 people in Yorkshire donated an organ after their death and together these amazing individuals provided 294 lifesaving transplants.

“It would be fantastic if the generosity of Yorkshire people meant that in Yorkshire, those who need a transplant get one in time. We could all be that hero and we could all find ourselves in the position of needing a hero!”

The campaign has already garnered public support from Yorkshire celebrities, including England cricketer Joe Root and Downton Abbey’s Jim Carter.

Mr Carter said: “Supporting this campaign is so important and joining the Organ Donor Register is quick, simple and can make a real difference to people’s lives.”

The NHS Organ Donor Register is a confidential national database that holds the details of around 21 million people who want to donate their organs when they die.

For more information or to join the NHS Organ Donor Register visit www.leedsth.nhs.uk/be-a-hero or call 0300 123 23 23.

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