Posted: 07/03/17
The gift of life – students learn about organ donation
The importance of helping people who need organ donations was highlighted to students at West Nottinghamshire College last week.
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Volunteer Kay Rigby with organ recipient Janet Tilford
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Kay spoke about the different kinds of donation, including blood and bone marrow
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Students were given advice leaflets to take home
Over two information sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday (28 February and 1 March), students welcomed Janet Tilford, a Mansfield lady who became ill in May 2015 with a very rare liver condition. After experiencing liver failure, Janet was transferred from Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge with only days to live.
Janet shared her story of how she was lucky enough to receive a liver transplant that June, thanks to someone’s organ from the organ donor register being available.
Janet was accompanied by Derby Hospital volunteer Kay Rigby, who offered students full advice on the process of joining the organ donor register and she raised the importance of how lives can be saved by being on the register.
Kay said: “We hope to encourage more young people to be aware of the importance of being on the donor register. A very small amount of people can become a donor, so the more people who register to become a donor, the better.
“It’s not the easiest of subjects to discuss but we hope students have found it very informative and may consider applying to be on the register for organs, bone marrow or blood.”
President of the Students’ Union Marc Jones said: “Janet and Kay’s talk about the donor register has been really enlightening. We’ve had over 30 students sign up already and even more have taken the literature home to read up on.
“I joined the register when I got my driving licence and lots of my friends have too. This is a great legacy to leave someone after you die – you can literally save up to five people’s lives after your death and it’s certainly something more of us should consider doing.”
