Inverness heart transplant patient backs NHS Highland Organ Donation campaign
Dozens of people were holding back the tears as they heard some of the personal stories of people who were there thanks to organ donors.
Among them was Angela Wilson, who had a heart transplant eight years ago, and said it would not have been possible for her to recently become a grandmother without that gift of life.
She was speaking at the launch of the NHS Highland Organ Donation campaign, of which we are a media partner. There was also Anushka Persad, a widow whose husband went on to become organ donor, Zabrina Harvey, who is awaiting a kidney transplant, and Duncan MacAulay, who after a heart transplant has set up a national football team of players who have received organ donations.
There were also medical staff involved in organ donation, telling the audience at Inverness Creative Academy that discussing with your family whether you want to be an organ donor, and making your decision known on the organ donor register is crucial.
Broadcaster Nicky Marr, who has been a key part of the campaign so far, hosted the evening. “To try and reach as many people as possible, and to squeeze every ounce of value from a stretched budget, we decided to harness the goodwill of both the business and public sectors in spreading the word,” she said.
“I decided to arrange a launch event for businesses, to introduce them to the real stars of our campaign. Those stars include not just the clinicians who work passionately to make the organ donation programme a reality, but also members of our community who have lived experience of the impact of all sides of organ donation.
“Hearing each of them talk so openly and powerfully about the ‘bonus years’ a new organ has given them, or about saying ‘yes’ to organ donation when their partner died, or explaining the crippling awfulness of life on the transplant waiting list, really helped bring our campaign to life.
“The buy-in from both private and public sector employers across Highland has already been astonishing. Everyone we have approached so far has responded with an enthusiastic ‘yes’. It’s so much more than I had hoped for.
“And it was wonderful, too, to be able to bring the stars of our campaign together for the first time. New friendships have already been formed as we all work together to create hope out of tragedy.”
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