Life Is Amazing – Pass It On

The campaign aims to encourage more people to join the organ donor register in Northern Ireland. The Life’s amazing. Pass it on campaign will see the organ donation message being brought to billboards and to buses throughout Northern Ireland. Speaking at the launch, the Minister said: “I am delighted to launch the Life’s amazing. Pass it on campaign. Organ donation and transplantation is a subject close to my heart and it is important that we do all we can to make as many organs available as possible for those in need of a transplant. “Despite the great advances made in Northern Ireland in organ donation and transplantation in recent years, more still needs to be done. There are still around 200 people actively waiting on a transplant. “Joining the organ donation list is one of the most generous things you can do for another person. I hope that the publicity this campaign generates encourages more people to join the organ donor register.” [caption id="attachment_37555" align="alignright" width="390"] Joanne Byrne, Organ Donation Specialist Nurse (Northern Trust), Dr David Hill, Associate Medical Director (South Eastern Trust), Sarah Hawkins, Organ Donation Specialist Nurse, (Belfast Trust), Edwin Poots, Health Minister and Heather Savage, Organ Donation Specialist Nurse (South Eastern Trust)[/caption] The campaign is a collaboration by the five Health and Social Care Trusts and aims to target as wide an audience as possible to get people talking to families and friends about their wishes for organ donation, raise awareness of organ donation and generate registrations to the organ donor register (ODR). The Minister added: “I recently announced my intention to consult on public attitudes towards organ donation, including the introduction of an opt-out system for organ donation in Northern Ireland. “My Department is developing the details of how this work will be progressed and I will make an announcement in due course. In the meantime it is important that we continue to encourage people to join the organ donor register and to educate them on the benefits or transplantation.” You can join the NHS Organ Donation Register by: *   filling in a form online at http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk or http://www.walloflife.org.uk *   calling the NHS Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23; *   texting SAVE to 84118 For more information about organ donation,  go to http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/register-to-become-an-organ-donor]]>