Beverley Knight, Ricky Whittle and Pooja Shah are just a few of the celebrities backing NHS Blood and Transplant's (NHSBT) new campaign to urge more Black and Asian people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register, so that more lives can be saved.
Currently, nearly 24 per cent of patients awaiting organ transplants are from Black and Asian communities – 1,842 people - yet these communities account for less than 2 per cent of those who have signed up to the ODR.
Gifted artist Jane Dalton-Brown from London, was only 29 when she died in a tragic pedestrian accident after being hit by a truck. She fulfilled her beliefs when she donated her organs for transplant to help others after her death.
Her brother Lloyd, who agreed to donate his sister Jane’s organs, said: “Before her accident, Jane discussed with her friends what she would have wanted if the worst was to happen, so the decision to donate her organs was made easier. I know Jane would have been glad that her wish to donate was fulfilled because her organs helped transform the lives of five people with life-threatening conditions.
“It’s such a devastating time when you lose someone. It is so important that the Black community are aware of organ donation. Very few donate their organs even though there is such a long waiting list of patients desperately needing them.”
Alia Rashid, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation, NHS Blood & Transplant, said: “It is vital that more Black and Asian people join the NHS Organ Donor Register. The message is quite simple – more Black and Asian patients will have the opportunity to receive a life-saving transplant if more people from those communities join the Register.
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