Organ Donation
Many organs can be transplanted: kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, corneas, small bowel and pancreas. Leeds Teaching Hospitals is the only hospital in the UK to offer hand and upper limb transplantation and has been performing these operations since 2013.
Living donors donate an organ or part of an organ during their lifetime. Deceased donors are individuals who donate organs after their death for the benefit of others. Many deceased donors donate more than one organ.
What we do
The Organ Donation team at LTHT provide medical and nursing support to patients who have expressed a wish in life to become an organ donor, and support their families and the clinical staff caring for them through the process of organ donation.
Our specialist nurses are trained to talk to patients and their families about the option of donation. When a patient wishes to be a donor after their death, our nurse supports them and their family through end of life care and facilitates their wish to help others. Our team will offer to stay in touch with a donor’s family, often for many years afterwards.
We can update them on how their loved one’s gift has transformed the lives of so many others, if they wish.
Why become an Organ Donor?
The Be A Hero campaign was launched by Leeds Teaching Hospitals in 2015 to celebrate the amazing gift of organ donation and to encourage all of us in Yorkshire to think about our end of life wishes in advance & record our donation decision on the Organ Donor Register.
The campaign celebrates the altruism of organ donors and their families - who at a time of sadness and loss - are willing to help others by donating organs after death. One donor can save or enhance the lives of up to nine people.
None of us know what’s round the corner and any one of us could end up needing a transplant. Would you take a donated organ if you needed one? Nearly everyone would. But only around a third of us have joined the Organ Donor Register.
Be A Hero aims to encourage everyone in Yorkshire to think about their wishes in advance and sign the organ donor register. It would be fantastic if the generosity of Yorkshire people meant that - in Yorkshire - those who need a transplant get one in time.
Get Involved
The most important way that you can support our campaign is by signing the Organ Donor Register.
There are other ways you can get involved too.
- Follow us on social media - @BeAHeroYorks and @LeedsHospitals on Twitter and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust on Facebook.
- Text BAHY99 £5 to 70070 to donate to the Be A Hero fund so that we can continue raising awareness of organ donation.
- Have the conversation - share your wishes for organ donation with your family and friends.
If you would like to tell us your experiences of organ donation, please email communications.lth@nhs.net
