Mayor meets Transplant Games gold medal winner in organ donation week

Martin has had two kidney transplants and actively promotes all aspects of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. He has been involved with a host of fundraising events for organ donation, in particular for University Hospitals Birmingham Charity.

He is the volunteer manager to the Birmingham Adult Transplant Sport Team, whose members have all had life changing and life-saving transplants.

In July, the team took part in the Westfield Health British Transplant Games in Leeds, with every member winning a medal, including a gold in snooker for Martin.

The team topped the medals table with 28 Gold, 24 Silver and 10 Bronze, winning them the Transplant Sport Ross Taylor Trophy.

Recently he was also chosen to carry the baton down Blackheath High Street as part of the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay.

The Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Sue Greenaway, said:

It was wonderful to meet Martin and hear about his achievements this summer, but also to find out about the wider and more important work he and his fellow volunteers do to promote awareness of organ and tissue donation.

Martin’s achievements are considerable when you think what he has been through. But it's even more important to remember that he was able to do this thanks to the utterly selfless and generous act made by his donors and their families and I hope it encourages more people to sign up.

Martin said:

To say it was a great week with many successes and achievements would be somewhat of an understatement. It is certainly a week in my life that will take some beating.

All of it would never have been possible without a decision that a loving family had to make while in shock and grief stricken to donate a loved one’s organs for transplantation purposes. I am so grateful for this every day that I wake up breathing.

Please make sure you have that conversation with your loved on what you would like to happen to your organs when you leave this earth.

The Council House is being lit up pink for the week to show support for the campaign.

The NHS campaign is asking everyone to go pink for the week. Whether that’s baking a pink cake, wearing pink socks, painting a pink unicorn or drinking a pink drink, and they’re encouraging people to share their pics on social media #organdonation or tag @nhsorgandonor.

In May 2020 the law around organ donation changed in England. All adults are now considered as having agreed to donate their own organs when they die, unless they record a decision not to donate, are in one of the excluded groups or have told their family that they don’t want to donate.

https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/get-involved/news/planning-underway-for-organ-donation-week/

For more information, go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk