Praise for 100 heroes after Leeds city centre Be A Hero stand boosts organ donor register

It is hoped many more who passed the pop-up Be A Hero stand at Trinity Leeds yesterday and took home leaflets on the campaign, run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTH), will sign up and potentially become lifesavers.

A photobooth, the Be A Hero mascot and iPads linked to the register were on hand as shoppers posted pictures and messages of support online using the #BeAHero hashtag.

Catherine Jordan, specialist nurse for organ donation at LTH, said: “Some of the attitudes have just been amazing. We’ve seen people who are completely pro donation that have just been waiting to sign up.”

The campaign was launched in response to news that just 29 Leeds families, 114 Yorkshire-wide, donated organs last year, while around 800 people in the county are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Nationally three people a day die waiting for a transplant.

Oakwood resident Abdu Azam, 15, signed the register at the event. He said: “If you were in that position you would want somebody to donate.”

Organ donation chiefs and families of heroic donors, including the parents of Yorkshire’s first neonatal organ donor Minnie Duggleby attended the Trinity event.

Ami and Liam Duggleby, who brought along daughter Lilly, three, saw their 23-day-old daughter Minnie save the life of an adult when her kidneys were donated earlier this year.

Ami, 28, said: “It’s been really nice to know people really want to hear about Minnie and think we made the right decision.”

Click here to sign the NHS Organ Donor Register through Be A Hero.