The campaign aims to promote awareness of, and support for, organ donation to boost the number of people joining the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR).
Mr McGimpsey, who has himself joined the Wall of Life, said: “Last year alone 13 Northern Ireland residents died while waiting for an organ to become available.
“We all have the potential to help others after our death by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register; 25% of the Northern Ireland population has already joined which is wonderful but still leaves great room for improvement.
“I would urge everyone to discuss this important issue with friends and relatives and to consider joining the Organ Donor Register.”
The Wall of Life is an online mosaic created from people’s photos posted on the site to show their support for organ donation. These photos come together to make up the image of two-year old Louisa McGregor-Smith whose life was saved by a heart transplant in 2007 at just five months old. At least 60,000 people need to upload their photos on to the Wall to build Louisa’s image.
People joining the Wall of Life can then pass details to their friends and families to download a personalised widget on their social profiles and websites, spreading the message across social networks.
The Wall of Life has been created as part of a national campaign to highlight the constant need for organs in the UK. More than 10,000 people across the UK currently need a transplant operation, of whom 1,000 – three a day – will die before an organ becomes available.
For more information about organ donation or to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, please call the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23 or visit the Wall of Life website.
Notes to Editors:
1. Visit www.walloflife.org.uk to join the Wall of Life. People who are already on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) can upload their photo straight away. Those not yet registered can do so via the site and then follow instructions to join the Wall of Life. People can also post a short message and can forward the application to their family and friends as a prompt for them to sign up.
2. The ODR is a confidential database used to identify those who have indicated that they wish to donate organs and/or tissue after their death for the purpose of transplantation. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is consulted after someone has died by authorised NHS staff in order to establish a person’s wishes about donation.
3. Last year, 3,504 organ transplants were carried out in the UK, thanks to the generosity of 1,844 deceased and living donors – the highest number on record.
4. Joining the ODR is simple – go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23. Calls to 0300 numbers cost no more than to a standard landline number, even from a mobile phone.
5. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority in the NHS. It is the organ donation organisation for the UK, with responsibility for matching and allocating donated organs. Its remit also includes the provision of a safe, reliable and efficient supply of blood and associated services to the NHS.
6. Press enquiries to DHSSPS press office on 028 9052 2841. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
