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Fewer donors offering their organs to save someone's life
Sunderland is falling behind the national average when it comes to signing up to save a life.
New figures from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) show just 19.5 per cent of people on Wearside are signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.
The national average is 23.3 per cent.
The highest take up is in North Devon with 34 per cent and the lowest in central Birmingham with 8.7 per cent.
Today, Carol Olley, the mum of Kaylee Davidson, 22, one of the longest-surviving heart transplant babies in the world, urged Wearsiders to have the conversation which could save someone's life.
The 41-year-old, of Biddick Woods, Washington, said: "Kaylee simply would not be here if the family that donated her heart had not had that conversation.
"People need to sit down and look at their own children and put themselves in that situation."
In County Durham, 23.3 per cent of people have signed up to the organ donor register.
The North East average is 24 per cent – meaning nationally, it is among the regions with the lowest uptake.
Carol added: "We need to continue to educate people because often people don't think that organ donation affects them, until a time that perhaps one of their relatives or a neighbour or a friend is listed on the transplant list.
"Hopefully, with more publicity and more education, people can have that one conversation, which would increase the local average."
Yesterday, the Echo revealed how double heart transplant schoolgirl Sarah Barton was recovering well from her latest operation.
Sarah, who turns 13 tomorrow, and her East Herrington family have urged other Wearsiders to sign the donor register.
The figures have been released to mark National Transplant Week, which is designed to raise awareness about organ donation.
Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation at NHSBT, said: "If we are to meet the growing need for organs across the UK we really need more people sign up as organ donors.
"Our job at NHSBT is to make sure that people know how to join and the difference they can make to the lives of others by signing up."
Craig Taylor, spokesman for NHSBT added: "We'd really like to thank everyone who has joined the Organ Donor Register on Wearside.
"Every person who joins the register is offering hope to the 10,000 people currently needing an organ transplant to save or transform their life.
"If you would like to help please sign up and remember to tell your family about your wishes."
For more information or to sign up, call the donor helpline on 0300 123 23 23 (open 24 hours), or visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
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