A woman who received a life-saving liver transplant has spoken of the importance of organ donation as a hot-air balloon floated above Nottingham. The bright pink balloon was launched from Forest Recreation Ground on Monday morning (March 27) in order to raise awareness of the subject.
Followed by a blue balloon, it carried specialist nurses from Nottingham University Hospitals' (NUH) organ donation team. The NHS hope it will make more people talk about the topic and decide whether they wish to donate.
Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live after the balloon's launch, retired teaching assistant Janet Tilford said a donated liver in 2015 had saved her life. "I would have died, I was in intensive care at that point being ventilated, probably with two or three days to live," said the 66-year-old.
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"It saved my life. For other people it changes their life. If you have a chronic condition a transplant will change your life completely."
Only around one per cent of organ donors can actually donate due to specific requirements being needed in the lead up to their death. There are currently 78 people on the waiting list for organs in Nottinghamshire.
Following a change in the law, all adults in England are considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have opted out. However, families are still able to have the final say on whether their deceased relative donates or not.
"You're more likely to need a transplant than to be a donor, which is quite a sobering thought," continued Mrs Tilford. "The big thing is to talk to your family, they need to know your wishes and what you want.
"For someone to be a donor is a traumatic time, to have to think about that on top of death, I can't imagine it. But if they already know, that's answered for them.
"For us to get better, there is a family somewhere who are going to lose someone precious to them. It's bitter sweet. That's not lost on recipient families at all."
She said she had had written communication with the family of her donor, a woman the same age of her who also had two children.
Skye Irvine-Berry, a specialist nurse in NUH’s organ donation team, said: “We want to start that conversation about organ donation. Some families like to release balloons when they lose a loved one, or look up at the sky and stars.
"The balloon is symbolic and we want our families to look up and remember the precious gift their loved one gave. The balloon is really bright and people won’t be able to miss it floating past, and we hope people will talk to each other, make their decisions known or sign up on the organ donation register.”
The ballon will take to the sky 30 times across the UK in the next 12 months. Pilot Neil Humphries is also planning to fly the balloon - funded by the trust's organ donation committee - at the Midlands Air Festival, from 2 to 4 June at Alcester in Warwickshire, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta in August, and the Chatsworth Country Fair in September.
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