Ambitious new plans to make 50,000 people in Yorkshire organ donors

People in Yorkshire are being encouraged to sign up to become an organ donor, as new figures reveal that 500 people in the region are waiting for a life-saving transplant.

A new campaign's been launched by the charity ‘Be A Hero’, encouraging 50,000 more people here to sign up to the register.

Staff from Leeds Teaching Hospitals along with sports stars and families of recipients are taking part in a 24-hour pedal challenge, to keep Yorkshire's 7-foot inflatable heart beating.

British Cycling’s Head Sprint Coach, Justin Grace, who had a liver transplant last year launched the event said, “There’s a lot of people that die on waiting lists every year and a lot of organs that go to waste.”

“By increasing the amount of people we can get on the donation list, we can save potentially 500-700 lives a year.”

Dr Simon Flood, a Consultant in Intensive Care at Leeds Teaching Hospital’s NHS Trust said, “One donor can save up to nine lives and that’s a tremendous amount of good that can be done.”

“Donor families often speak of the reassurance and comfort they get from knowing that some good has come out of what is otherwise a very tragic set of circumstances".

Figures show that 115 people in Yorkshire donated after their death, and between them gave away 300 organs.

You can find more information on how you can donate here.