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Gift of Life campaign hits target

YOU’VE done it! The Gift of Life campaign, in partnership with the Sheffield Star, has hit its target - with more than 25,000 readers now signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

In South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire alone, hundreds of people are waiting for a new heart, liver, lung, kidney or pancreas to give them a chance of life.

Tragically, a severe shortage of donor organs means that as many as one in three people on the waiting list are likely to die before having a life-saving operation.

To help tackle this desperate situation, the Gift of Life campaign was launched six months ago. An ambitious target was set to add the names of 25,000 readers to the NHS Organ Donor Register by Thursday August 7 – the start of the 31st Westfield Health British Transplant Games in Sheffield – and has been reached more than a week early.

Thousands of athletes at the Games will be competing in sporting events to highlight the benefits of organ donation and to promote the Register.

And thousands of people throughout the region have shown that they truly care by adding their names to the register and persuading friends, family members and colleagues to sign up.

Westfield Health Chairman Graham Moore said: "I would like to congratulate the Star and local people for meeting the challenge and showing their support for the amazing transplant patients taking part in the Games next week."

Editor of The Star, Alan Powell, added: "This is simply fantastic!

"I have always known that our readers would respond to good causes - and there are no better causes than this.

"It would be marvellous if the higher target could be hit before the Games but, for the moment, it is enough to say a great big thank you to everyone who has joined the Organ Donor Register. Your commitment will really make a difference to so many lives."

About 8,000 people are on the NHS waiting list at any one time and that figure is increasing annually by about eight per cent.

The total number of organ transplants last year was 3,087 and around 1,000 people died while waiting for a suitable heart, liver, kidney or lung.

The Westfield Health British Transplant Games take place between August 7 and 11.

There’s still time to join the campaign. To find out how to join the NHS Organ Donor Register, call 0845 60 60 400 or visit www.uktransplant.org.uk to register online. For more information about the British Transplant Games, visit www.transplantsport.org.uk To sign up for the Star Donor Run visit www.thestar.co.uk/donor

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