Mark is proudly supporting Organ Donation Week and an appeal for people to talk about organ donation.




Nine people in Preston are currently on the active transplant list and although, 25,130 Prestonians are currently on the NHS Organ Donor Register, hundreds of lifesaving transplants are being missed around the country every year because families don’t know what their relative wanted.

During Organ Donation Week, held earlier this month, NHS Blood and Transplant, hospitals, charities and supporters of organ donation encouraged people across the UK to talk about organ donation with their relatives and friends.

Mark said: “I’m proud to support this lifesaving appeal and it’s really easy for everyone to take part – just have a chat.

“That chat might be the next time you sit down for a meal, when you’re shopping or working, or when you are just driving in the car. If you want to be a donor, your family’s agreement is still needed for donation to go ahead, even if you are on the NHS Organ Donor Register. This is particularly important for Black and Asian people who have registered to donate but haven’t yet communicated their wishes to their families.”

Families who agree to donate say it helps with their grief and that they feel enormous sense of pride at knowing their relative gave others the chance of a new beginning.

Patients from ethnic minority communities make up 29% of the national transplant waiting list but people from these communities are less likely to agree to donate. Organs from people from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a close match and give the best chance of a positive outcome.

Fiona Loud, Policy Director of Kidney Care UK, commented: “At least one person dies every single day whilst waiting for a kidney transplant and of all the people on the waiting list in Preston, around 90% of them are waiting for a kidney. You are more likely to need a transplant than to be a donor so please, just take a few minutes to have a think about what you would do if you needed a transplant, and have that life-saving chat with your family so they know your wishes.”

Anthony Clarkson, Assistant Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are really grateful for Mr Hendrick’s support because hundreds of lives are being lost every year.

“If you are unsure about donation, please ask yourselves as a family; what would you do if one of you needed a transplant? Would you accept a life-saving organ? If you’d take an organ, shouldn’t you be prepared to donate?”