A Tyneside nurse who donated a kidney to someone she had never met is backing a campaign encouraging people to do the same – as a charity highlights how six people a week die waiting for an organ.
Georgia Wilding is a transplant nurse herself at the Freeman Hospital, and also saw her cousin have liver transplants as a child – inspiring her decision in 2020 to donate an organ entirely altruistically to someone. She is supporting a campaign called “Make Your Mark” by charity the Robert Dangoor Partnership for Living Kidney Donation.
The charity created an art installation at Kent’s Bluewater shopping centre which featured the image of a man who donated a kidney alongside mannequins representing the people who die each week in need of one.
Georgia, 31, is from Heaton She has previously taken part in the World Transplant Games, is passionate about organ donation – and has shown that in more ways than most.
She said: “I knew a lot of people around me would ask why I would donate a kidney to someone on the waiting list who I’d never met. For me, there are a few reasons – I’ve been heavily involved in promoting organ donation for a long time.
“My cousin Jamie had two liver transplants which gave him 20 years of life, and in fact were still functioning when he passed away aged 30. I also work in transplant as a nurse. And by donating an organ while I’m still alive, I could ensure that I would be able to donate at least one organ”
What might concern anyone thinking about altruistic organ donation is that you have to undergo an invasive operation. Georgia was reassuring about the recovery process – and said she was running 5Ks just 12 weeks afterwards.
She said: “I set myself clear goals to return to fitness and running after the operation. At nearly 12 weeks I took part in my first parkrun and returned to work. I got my first personal best at 6 months and ran a marathon at 9 months post-donation! Nowadays, it has no impact on my life whatsoever.”
The Make Your Mark campaign is encouraging people to complete an online quiz and people can find out “if it’s inside them to donate a kidney”. According to the group, while 47% of people in the North East would donate an organ to a family member, just 11% would consider donating to someone they did not know.
Bob Wiggins, chairman and trustee of Give a Kidney, also joined the installation as a living donor. He said: “I donated one of my kidneys in 2013 and I know that living donation is not something everyone can do, but if this installation sparks curiosity for a few people to start that journey then it will make an enormous difference to those six people who die in the UK each week from the lack of availability of a suitable kidney donor.
“This new year, why not make a resolution to do something incredible and give the gift of a life to a stranger?”
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