NHS Organ Donation

05/06/2026

04/06/2026

We’re calling on England fans to give someone some extra time during the World Cup by confirming their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽

Almost 1,400 people have died in England waiting for a transplant since the end of the last World Cup – and out of all the home nations England is at the bottom of the league when it comes to organ donation, with the lowest proportion of the population registered to donate upon their death.

So come on England! Let’s save lives together! 🦁🦁🦁

Harry had a kidney transplant three years ago. He now plays for the England Transplant Sport Football team. Last year they won the Transplant European Championships and they’ll be heading to the Transplant World Cup in Germany this September fresh off another trophy win against the other home nations, last weekend.

“As we’re supporting the lads in the World Cup this Summer and playing in the transplant World Cup this September, we will all be acutely aware of just how lucky we are to be there – there are many who are still waiting for their transplant. The transplant waiting list is the longest it has ever been and without more donors, there will be people who, really sadly, don’t receive that precious gift.”

One of Harry’s team mates is Martyn. Martyn was a semi-professional footballer who had played for Manchester United’s academy as a teenager. He received a heart transplant two years ago after suddenly falling ill. A virus had caused his heart to swell and stop working.

“Organ donation isn’t something I ever thought of before I had a heart transplant. I hope that my story shows people that you never know when it could be you who will need that organ – and that most of us would accept it if we needed it. So it makes sense that we think about donation, too.

Donation saved my life, it saved the life of my football teammates and it saves the life of so many people every year. Please, think about what your donation decision would be and then confirm it – you’d be doing something truly lifesaving.”

Kelly made the decision, with family, to donate her fiancé Jordan Sinnott’s organs when he died in January 2020. Jordan, 25, was a professional footballer, playing for Matlock Town at the time of his death.

“Choosing to donate Jordan’s organs just made sense. He’d confirmed his organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register a few times throughout his life, which made the decision easy for us but it also seemed a waste if we didn’t do it, knowing that he could save a life.

“Football was Jordan’s life and I know he would be behind this message asking people to take two minutes out of their day during this World Cup season to do something he himself had done a number of times and confirm your donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. It makes a difficult time and a difficult choice so much easier for your loved ones and of course, can save up to nine lives.”

03/06/2026

A new play, which tells the story of a woman who donates her organs following a tragic accident, has been performed at Norfolk & Norwich festival.

Heartwood is a touching play about the ultimate gift – life. Ultra marathon runner Ava donates her organs to Bodi, a talented wood craftsman, following a tragic accident. The play explores what it means to give and receive such a precious gift with touching and thought-provoking scenes featuring loved ones, donor family, specialist nurse and an organ recipient that brings donation to life.

Developed in collaboration with NHSBT, curious directive worked with transplant surgeons, specialist nurses and NHS Ambassadors and have incorporated real-life testimonies which adds to the realism.

Curious directive are a community grants programme recipient

Heartwood has now completed its run at the curious directive space in Norwich and its director Jack Lowe hopes to take it national to further raise awareness of organ donation, so watch this space!

02/06/2026

Monday 1st June until Sunday 7th June is Volunteers Week, so we wanted to celebrate the many volunteers who are so passionate about supporting organ donation, they give up their time to visit hospitals, events and workplaces to talk about organ donation and encourage as many people as possible to confirm their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Volunteers offer so much to our organisation, with their enthusiasm, passion and dedication to saving lives. A huge thank you to each and every one of you!

02/06/2026

🇬🇧 Stewart was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease as a teenager, as was his brother but aside from annual check-ups at the renal clinic, his life was largely unaffected by kidney disease until his early twenties. And then everything changed.

“It affected my blood pressure, and I had a brain haemorrhage. I realised then how serious things were. My kidneys slowly deteriorated and eventually I was added to the transplant waiting list.

“In 2012, I began haemodialysis. I was connected to a machine for four hours, three times per week at the unit after work. Dialysis is tough on your body but also on your mental health. It’s a drain on your life and affects everything. I was on dialysis for five months.

“The call for my transplant was the best thing. It’s hard to describe – I thought it was a wind-up at first! It was a shock but exciting. Lots of nerves and emotions. I was just praying it would be a match. Thankfully it was.

“It was unreal how well I felt when I woke up after surgery. Everyone told me I looked so much better. I will be forever grateful to my donor. I felt for them and their family a lot, and always will. Their kindness in death means I get to live a normal life. It’s a fantastic gift.”

Post transplant Stewart is living a full, healthy life. After he saw an advert in the transplant clinic for a Welsh transplant football team, he signed up.

“I’ve always played football, and when I saw in the transplant clinic there was a team, I thought ‘I’ve got to go and meet them!’

And although the Welsh men’s team might not be going to the World Cup this June, Steward and his teammates are taking on the 3 Peaks Challenge to raise money for the Welsh Transplant Team to take part in the Transplant World Cup in September.

I am looking forward to the mental and physical challenge, and I hope that this will inspire anyone waiting for an organ transplant.

Climbing the 3 peaks will be a challenge but we all have faced bigger battles with our health, so this will be my drive to complete it.



🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Cafodd Stewart ddiagnosis o glefyd arennau polycystig pan oedd yn ei arddegau, a’i frawd hefyd, ond ar wahân i archwiliadau blynyddol yn y clinig arennol, nid oedd hyn wedi effeithio ar ei fywyd nes oedd yn ei ugeiniau cynnar. Ac yna newidiodd popeth.

“Effeithiodd ar fy mhwysedd gwaed, a chefais waedlif ar fy ymennydd. Sylweddolais bryd hynny pa mor ddifrifol oedd pethau. Dirywiodd fy arennau’n araf ac yn y pen draw cefais fy ychwanegu at y rhestr aros am drawsblaniad.

“Yn 2012, dechreuais haemodialysis. Roeddwn i’n cael fy nghysylltu â pheiriant am bedair awr, dair gwaith yr wythnos ar ôl gwaith. Mae dialysis yn galed ar eich corff ond hefyd ar eich iechyd meddwl. Mae’n dreth ar eich bywyd ac yn effeithio ar bopeth. Roeddwn i ar ddialysis am bum mis.

“Yr alwad ffôn i ddweud fy mod yn cael trawsblaniad oedd y peth gorau. Mae’n anodd disgrifio - roeddwn i’n meddwl bod rhywun yn gwneud jôc arna i! Roedd yn sioc ond yn gyffrous. Llawer o nerfau ac emosiynau. Roeddwn i’n gweddïo y byddai’r aren yn cydweddu. Mi oedd hi, diolch byth.

“Roedd hi’n afreal pa mor dda roeddwn i’n teimlo pan wnes i ddeffro ar ôl y llawdriniaeth. Dywedodd pawb wrtha i fy mod i’n edrych gymaint yn well. Mi fyddai‘n ddiolchgar am byth i’m rhoddwr. Roeddwn i’n pitïo drostyn nhw a’u teulu, a byddaf bob amser yn teimlo felly. Mae eu caredigrwydd yn golygu fy mod yn cael byw bywyd normal. Mae’n rhodd ffantastig...”

Ar ôl trawsblaniad, mae Stewart yn byw bywyd hapus ac iach. Ar ôl iddo weld hysbyseb yn y clinig trawsblannu ar gyfer tîm pêl-droed trawsblaniadau yng Nghymru, cofrestrodd.

“Rydw i wastad wedi chwarae pêl-droed, a phan welais bod yna dîm trawsblaniadau, roeddwn i’n meddwl ‘Mae’n rhaid i mi fynd i gwrdd â nhw!’

Ac er nad yw tîm dynion Cymru yn mynd i Gwpan y Byd ym mis Mehefin, mae Stewart a’i dîm yn ymgymryd â Her y Tri Chopa i godi a***n i Dîm Trawsblannu Cymru gael cymryd rhan yng Nghwpan Trawsblaniad y Byd ym mis Medi.

Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at yr her feddyliol a chorfforol, ac rwy’n gobeithio y bydd hyn yn ysbrydoli unrhyw un arall sy’n aros am drawsblaniad organ.

Bydd dringo’r tri chopa yn her ond mae pob un ohonom wedi wynebu brwydrau mwy gyda’n hiechyd, felly dyma fydd yn fy annog i’w gwblhau.

Dau funud yn unig y mae’n ei gymryd i gadarnhau eich penderfyniad ar Gofrestr Rhoddwyr Organau’r GIG a gallech chi achub hyd at 9 o fywydau.



Rhoi Organau Cymru / Organ Donation Wales Tim Trawsblaniad Cymru 〡 Welsh Transplant Team

01/06/2026

🇬🇧 It might be a bit early for Father’s Day, but sometimes its nice to celebrate dad’s like Rob, who donated a kidney to his step-daughter Hollie in 2015.

“My eldest daughter Hollie, was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure at the age of 13 which turned our world upside down. However, she was lucky enough to receive a Transplant in 2006 and her quality of life improved dramatically for a long time allowing to have a 'normal' life!

Unfortunately in 2014 the kidney function dropped significantly which led to Hollie going on dialysis to keep her alive. Both myself and my wife Clare were tested as live donors to see who may be the best match for Hollie and in December 2015 I donated a kidney to Hollie just before my 50th birthday.”

“We were obviously delighted that I was a match for Hollie. Seeing her suffer endless hours of kidney dialysis was hard for us all.

The support we received, and continue to receive, from the hospital has been first class. For anyone deliberating between opting in or out, I would say, opt in. The impact you can have on the quality of someone’s life is immense.”

Rob’s physical fitness was back to normal in a few weeks time, and as well as combining his role as goalkeeping coach for the Welsh Transplant Football Team, he’s taking on the 3 Peaks Challenge to help raise money for the team’s trip to the Transplant World Cup in September.



🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Efallai ei bod hi ychydig yn gynnar i Sul y Tadau, ond weithiau mae’n braf dathlu tadau fel Rob, a roddodd aren i’w lys-ferch Hollie yn 2015.

“Cafodd fy merch hynaf Hollie ddiagnosis o fethiant cronig yr arennau pan oedd hi’n 13 oed, a throdd hyn ein byd wyneb i waered. Fodd bynnag, roedd hi digon ffodus i gael trawsblaniad yn 2006 a gwellodd ansawdd ei bywyd hi’n sylweddol gan adael iddi gael bywyd 'normal'!

Yn anffodus, gwaethygodd cyflwr yr aren yn sylweddol yn 2014, a olygodd bod Hollie’n gorfod cael dialysis i’w chadw’n fyw. Cefais i a fy ngwraig Clare brawf i weld pa un ohonom allai fod y person gorau i Hollie, ac ym mis Rhagfyr 2015 rhoddais fy aren i Hollie ychydig cyn fy mhen-blwydd yn 50 oed.”

“Roeddem yn amlwg wrth ein bodd fy mod i’n gallu helpu Hollie. Roedd yn anodd i bob un ohonom ei gweld hi’n dioddef gymaint yn ystod y dialysis.

Mae’r gefnogaeth a gawsom, ac yr ydym yn parhau i’w chael, gan yr ysbyty wedi bod o’r safon uchaf. I unrhyw un sy’n ystyried rhwng optio i mewn neu optio allan, byddwn i’n dweud, optio i mewn. Mae’r effaith y gallwch chi ei chael ar ansawdd bywyd rhywun yn enfawr.”

Roedd Rob yn ôl ar ei draed o fewn ychydig wythnosau, ac yn ogystal â’i rôl fel hyfforddwr gôl-geidwad ar gyfer Tîm Pêl-droed Trawsblaniadau Cymru, mae’n ymgymryd â Her y Tri Chopa i helpu i godi a***n ar gyfer taith y tîm i Gwpan Trawsblaniad y Byd ym mis Medi.

29/05/2026

Almost 400 people in Wales are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant but the people of Wales are the least likely of all four home nations to consent to organ donation. In fact, only 44% of people in Wales have confirmed their decision to be a donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Despite the change in the law meaning it is assumed people will be donors unless they have opted out, families are still involved in the conversations about donation, making the final decision on whether it can go ahead.

Statistics show that families are significantly more likely to support their loved one’s decision to be an organ donor when they have expressed their decision, which is why it is so important to confirm your decision to be an organ donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

James is one of the people in Wales waiting for a lifesaving transplant. You might remember him from a video we did recently where he explained what life was like being on dialysis. He has been waiting for a second kidney transplant for five years after his first, which he received in 2009 failed after 10 years. For the last seven years he’s been on dialysis.

“I live every day with my phone on loud next to me. Every time I get a call, my heart skips a beat – and then there’s the disappointment when you answer and it’s not the call. But if I’m honest, I’ve changed my mindset to tell myself that it’s not going to happen, that I’m not going to get my transplant. If I do, it’s a bonus. "

“Put simply, the odds of me – and everybody else on the list - finding the match that we need can only be increased through more families making that extremely difficult yet generous decision to donate their loved one’s organs when they die."

“I know it’s not a nice thing to think about but it’s an important thing to do.”

Confirming your decision takes just 2 minutes and it’s the best thing you’ll do today.

28/05/2026

We’re always blown away by the people who are helping to spread the word about Organ Donation – people like Vicky and her husband Jon who are about to start on a bike ride from London to Paris alongside 33 other cyclists who have all given up their time to start the conversation about Organ Donation.

Their little boy Rory was born six weeks premature and diagnosed with Congenital Nephrotic Syndrome, a rare kidney disorder affecting just 1 in 100,000 children.

His mum Vicki picks up the story for us…

“At only ten days old, he was admitted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where he was an inpatient until his first birthday.

Because of the severity and complexity of his condition, Rory required intensive treatment, including medication, daily albumin infusions and the removal of one kidney. He suffered frequent infections and was later diagnosed with failure to thrive, resulting in the need for intravenous feeding. A kidney transplant became his only chance of survival.

At the age of two, Rory began daily peritoneal dialysis at home, before moving onto haemodialysis in hospital aged two and a half. This involved four-hour dialysis sessions, four days a week. During this time, Rory was unable to eat and relied entirely on tube feeding.

In January 2019, Rory received the ultimate gift of life when his father donated a kidney. The impact was immediate and remarkable. Within weeks, Rory began to thrive, growing, developing, eating and enjoying his childhood.

Now aged 10, Rory continues to take daily medication and attends regular hospital appointments. "

Rory will require another transplant in the near future and his dad and mum, friends and family have all come forward for testing, the family have also agreed to go on to the paired scheme which is just a fantastic scheme to be part off saving multiple lives.

Good luck to Vicki and all the team taking on the challenge!

27/05/2026

Over 8,000 people in England are waiting for a life-saving transplant, including 276 children.
One brave little girl who is waiting for a new heart is Poppy. She was born with a congenital heart disease and has been staying at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle since last December.

Her mum and dad have been sharing her journey on Instagram and you can follow them by searching for 'poppysincredibleheart'.

Children like Poppy are reliant on the dedication, continuous research and work by NHS doctors, nurses and staff, but there’s something that would give her the gift that she’s been waiting for.

Confirming your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register takes just 2 minutes and you could save up to 9 lives.

26/05/2026

With the British Transplant Games getting ever closer, we’re profiling some of the athletes who are going to be in attendance this August in Sheffield as part of our “Road to the Games” series.

Rian hadn’t even started pre-school when he was forced to confront a devastating life and death situation.

Born with acute renal failure, Rian’s health deteriorated to the point that he faced a heartrending race against time to find a matching kidney donor, aged just three and a half.

For Rian, the answer was right in front of him. His critical search for a working kidney started and finished with his mum Karen!

Now 21, Rian and his mum share a special bond – “She gave me her kidney and it’s given me a second chance of life. It has brought us incredibly close. I have such a strong bond with her because of what happened.

Since his transplant, Rian has spent every minute living up to the vow he made to make the most of his “second chance”, and has participated in every British Transplant Games since 2009.
Last year he claimed a hat-trick at the World Transplant Games in Germany, winning gold in the long jump and relay and a bronze in the 100m.

“The British Transplant Games are a unique opportunity to share experiences with other people who have overcome life and death adversity.

“Having people you can relate to and to be able to express what you’ve experienced is so important and powerful. It helps you to build as a person.”

More than 8,200 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant. The British Transplant Games is a shining example of the active and amazing lives people can lead post-transplant.

Confirm your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register today. It takes two minutes and you could end up saving nine lives.



Transplant Active - Home of the British Transplant Games