Page8 TheTrumpet FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 9, 2010
News
NHS launches BME Organ
donation campaign
A
host of celebrities from the
British Asian, African and
Caribbean communities joined
forces last week to launch a campaign
designed to raise awareness and
encourage members of South Asian
and Black communities to join the
NHS Organ Donor Register.
Pop superstar Jay Sean, TV presenters
Sonia Deol and Ama K. Abebrese and
singer Jaya came together at London’s
Hammersmith Hospital (part of Imperial
College Healthcare NHS Trust) to ‘Prove’
they care about the lack of organ donors
from BME backgrounds.
As well as increasing awareness about
organ donation, the campaign aims to
challenge the misconceptions surrounding
the issue through the innovative use of
drama in a series of Street Plays that will
visit key locations around the country in
the coming weeks. The campaign will
support the decision-making process by
providing the community with unique
insight into the experiences of patients
currently on the transplant waiting list as
well as the opportunity to see the positive
Organ Donation - Celebrity Champions - Ama K. Abebrese, Jaya, Jay Sean, Sonia Deol
impact of donation from a donor family’s
lead role in the Asian version of the Street communities, with a host of campaign to demonstrate the impact that
perspective.
Play said: “Organ donation is a difficult misconceptions. Being a part of this organ donation has had or could have on
Kulvinder Ghir, who will be taking the
and often taboo subject within our campaign and taking messages to the their lives.
heart of the community is going to be Donna Akuffo, who spent five years
challenging, but if I can change people’s waiting for a kidney transplant said: “This
Freight
attitudes and get the community to realise is the one time that race does matter. Most
the importance of joining the NHS Organ people from our communities are
Donor Register then I will have made use oblivious to the fact that not only are
This space isfor sale at
of my celebrity status.” people from the Asian and Black
The need for a specific campaign to communities more likely to need a
£120
reach the Asian and Black communities is transplant, but that we have the lowest
+VAT highlighted by some disturbing facts: numbers on the NHS Organ Donor
Register. I had to wait five years and I waszPeople from the South Asian and
(black & white)
Black communities living in the UK are one of the lucky ones. There are people
three times more likely to need a kidney who will spend the rest of their lives just
£144
transplant waiting in hope.”
+VAT (colour) Sitting alongside Donna was Bobby
zBut just 1.2% of people from the
south Asian community and 0.4% of Mudhar, whose brother Mandip was
(60mm x 2 columns)
people from Black communities have tragically killed in a road traffic accident
joined the NHS Organ Donor Register. at the age of 20. He says: “Upon hearing
Mandip would not recover consciousness,
zA transplant is more likely to be
successful if the donor and recipient are we as a family decided to donate
Swift as an Eagle
from the same ethnic group Mandip’s heart and two kidneys’. His
heart was given to a middle aged man and
zDue to the shortage of compatible
DELSUN (UK) LTD
donors, South Asian and Black patients his two kidneys to a young mother and a
on average have to wait nearly twice as girl of 14 who were reliant on dialysis. It
long as a white person for an organ to gives us great comfort to know that
Door to Door Services
become available. despite our tragic loss, Mandip has given
A New Vision & A New Concept in International Services
The press conference was hosted by hope to three families. We hold a charity
the Chief Executive of NHS Blood and football tournament every year in
™ Dpvsjfs!Tfswjdft
Transplant, Lynda Hamlyn, who Mandip’s memory and next year will be
™ Joufsobujpobm!Gsfjhiu!Tfswjdft
presented an overview of the new
our 10
th
Anniversary.”
™ Usbot.tijqnfou!Tfswjdft
campaign and its key messages. She said
To echo the messages further,
™ Gpsfjho!Qspdvsfnfou “The facts speak for themselves in making
Professor Gurch Randhawa, who was a
Pvs!Npuup;!Xjui!ipoftuz!boe!fggjdjfodz!xf!bjn!gps!fydfmmfodf
a compelling case for everyone to join the
Member of the Organ Donation Taskforce
Outstandingly The Best
NHS Organ Donor Register, but it is a
and Alia Rashid, a Donor Transplant Co-
UK HEAD OFFICE LAGOS - DEBUK NIG. LTD
particularly urgent call to members of the
ordinator, also talked about organ
Delsun (UK) Ltd, 9B Robinson Gbagi Lane,
South Asian and Black communities to
donation and their experiences.
Ground Floor, 10 Amhurst Terrace, behind Eleganza Industries, Ajao Estate, Lagos
off Amhurst Road Tel: 01 773 4582, 01 891 0284, 01 791 2874
take action, join the Register and to help
Also lending their support to the
London E8 2BT 0803 073 8468, 0802 757 0074, 0803 847 0306
save the lives of people who may
campaign are actors Meera Syal and Wil
Tel/Fax: 01 452 8049 Fax: 01 791 2875
Tel: 020 7249 5154 / 5175
otherwise die waiting for an organ
Johnson.
Fax: 020 7249 5265 / 7923 3964
ABUJA
transplant.”
If you believe in organ donation,
Mobile: 07984 891 667, 07961 191 252
Tel: 0802 319 7823, 0803 291 0561
The celebrities were also joined by a
prove it. Register now at
Email: info@delsun.co.uk
PORT HARCOURT
number of patients and their families, all
organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123
Website: www.delsun.co.uk
Tel: 0802 223 2129, 0803 312 6389
of whom will play an active role in the
23 23
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16