Bradford heart transplant dad urges people to talk about organ donation before it’s too late

A new campaign to get people to talk about organ donation starts this week. Catherine Scott talks two people whose lives have been changed by organ donation.
Kevin Ferdinand who had to have a heart transplant after suffering a mystery virus two years agoKevin Ferdinand who had to have a heart transplant after suffering a mystery virus two years ago
Kevin Ferdinand who had to have a heart transplant after suffering a mystery virus two years ago

The law may have changed when it comes to organ donation but new research has found that people are still not talking about their wishes to loved ones.

Even though 80 per cent of people are willing to donate their organs, only 39 per cent say they have shared their decision. And while nine in 10 families support organ donation if they knew what their loved one wanted, this figure falls to around half when a decision is not known.

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The ‘Leave Them Certain’ campaign, launched on television yesterday, aims to highlight the impact not knowing has on the families who are left behind and encourage people to talk about their decision.

Karen Piotr with husband Mark who saved eight lives after donating his organs when he died suddenly. He had made his wishes clear before his deathKaren Piotr with husband Mark who saved eight lives after donating his organs when he died suddenly. He had made his wishes clear before his death
Karen Piotr with husband Mark who saved eight lives after donating his organs when he died suddenly. He had made his wishes clear before his death

Karen Piotr from Queensbury, Bradford knew what her husband Mark’s wishes were as they had talked about it before his sudden death aged just 49.

Mark died suddenly from a spontaneous, catastrophic brain bleed in 2017. Through Mark’s death he helped eight people.

“I was happy to honour Mark’s decision as his next of kin and today, through his selfless act, eight people are alive and having the second chance of life,” says Karen, who has met one of the people her husband saved .

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She has recently taken up the position of chairperson on Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s organ donation committee.

Kevin soent four months in intensive care before having a heart transplantKevin soent four months in intensive care before having a heart transplant
Kevin soent four months in intensive care before having a heart transplant

“I wholeheartedly support the ‘Leave Them Certain’ campaign because back in May 2017, I knew immediately what my husband’s wishes were, as we had talked about organ donation many times,” says Karen. “It gives me pride and joy knowing I could honour Mark’s wishes and it does certainly make it feel better, if better is the right word. Mark saved eight people and it is an amazing feeling to think that my decision, because I knew what he wanted, has gone on to help all those people.

“Please talk to your family and relieve them of the burden of not knowing.”

Kevin Ferdinand, from Undercliffe, Bradford, had a life-saving heart transplant two years ago after a mystery virus attacked his organs, leaving him fighting for life.

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“The doctors told me I wouldn’t survive the night, but I knew I had to fight,” recalls the dad of one.

Karen Piotr is grateful that she knew husband Mark's wishes about organ donationKaren Piotr is grateful that she knew husband Mark's wishes about organ donation
Karen Piotr is grateful that she knew husband Mark's wishes about organ donation

“They said that the only way I would survive would be to have a heart transplant and that in itself was very risky, but I didn’t have any choice, my hearts was only functioning seven per cent of what it should be. I needed to fight, to get better to be a dad to my little girl.”

Kevin spent four months in intensive care in Manchester at the beginning of 2018 after the virus caused most of his major organs to fail.

“It started out pretty much like coronavirus. I was breathless and so fatigued all time from having been pretty fit and healthy.”

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He ended up on a BIVAD mechanical heart for more than a month.

Although he was classed as critical he still had to wait for a heart to become available, and at one point his condition deteriorate so much they took him off the transplant list.

But in April 2018 Kevin had a heart transplant and, after nine days in an induced coma and a month of rehabilitation, he was allowed home.

He will always have to take anti rejection drugs but he says it a small price to pay for life.

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Lockdown has been hard as he has had to shield for almost a year although as a data improvement officer he has been able to work from home.

“When you spend so long in hospital battling to survive it puts everything into perspective and I am just thankful to be here.

“I don’t know who my donor was, only that it was a man in their 30s, and I just don’t have the words to say how I feel towards them and their family - thank you isn’t enough and at the end of the day they have lost a loved one to give me life.”

“Since receiving my heart transplant, I have got to be a father again in the sense of playing an active role with my daughter, Lacie-Rose, five, and giving her big hugs.

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“What happened to me was so sudden and unexpected. You just don’t know what is around the corner. I do my best to look after myself and my donor’s heart. He lives on in me and has given it to me to protect and love.”

Kevin, who is also Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ Organ Donation Committee, is urging people to talk about their wishes.

“Like most of the population, I had not talked to my family about organ donation. Organ donation was not something I thought about before this happened to me. I want to encourage all families to talk about organ donation. No one wants to talk about when they die, but it is inevitable and it’s so hard on the families who are left behind to decide what to do.

“If I can help one more family to talk about organ donation, then that is good enough, that is one more family than yesterday.”

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Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “People often tell us that they struggle to find the right time or words to talk about organ donation, unfortunately we see first-hand the impact not knowing has on families when the first time they consider their loved ones wishes around organ donation is when they are seriously ill or have already died. Talk to your friends, talk to your family.

“Even though the law has changed, you can still sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register to provide your family with added reassurance. Please don’t wait. Have the conversation today.”

For more information on organ donation, and to register your decision, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.

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