Today is the start of National Transplant Week, which runs from Monday 8 to Sunday 14 July 2013. This is the fourth year NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has led activity for the awareness week and Anthony Nolan is keen to support their efforts.
The aim of the week is to increase awareness of organ donation, encouraging people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register and urging them to share their donation wishes with family and friends.
Anthony Nolan is fully committed to raising awareness of the importance of donation, particularly among young people. Our pioneering Register & Be a Lifesaver (R&Be) scheme helps young people discover how they can save lives through stem cell, blood and organ donation.
R&Be is an inspirational project that is the legacy of an inspirational person – Adrian Sudbury. Adrian was a young journalist with leukaemia who believed that many more lives could be saved if young people were informed about what it means to donate. He presented a petition to the prime minister and senior government ministers and in 2008 the R&Be team started to roll out the initiative to schools. Sadly, in the same year, Adrian lost his battle with leukaemia.
From the volunteers who host talks, to the young people who choose to donate – the R&Be team work with lifesavers every day. They encourage students to discuss the issues and their wishes with their families, which is vitally important when it comes to any form of donation.
In the case of organ donation, over 90% of families agree to donation if a loved one is registered and has discussed their wishes. This drops to around 40% if donation wishes are not known. When potential bone marrow donors join the Anthony Nolan register, we send them two tea bags to encourage them to share their experience with their family.
This week, Anthony Nolan will be highlighting a range of stories from our donors, staff and supporters to help demonstrate the importance of stem cell, blood and organ donation.
For more information on National Transplant Week, please visit: www.transplantweek.co.uk