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| 'My late wife proved the value of donor cards' | 'My late wife proved the value of donor cards' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News Lauren, pictured with her father Colin, needed a new kidney | By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News Lauren, pictured with her father Colin, needed a new kidney |
| Colin Corker has experienced the life and death decisions surrounding organ donation from both sides - his wife's organs helped four people after her sudden death and five years later his daughter needed her own transplant. | |
| When Christine Corker died aged 43 in 2001 her husband Colin had no hesitation in releasing her organs for transplant and her kidneys, liver and lungs were donated to four strangers. | When Christine Corker died aged 43 in 2001 her husband Colin had no hesitation in releasing her organs for transplant and her kidneys, liver and lungs were donated to four strangers. |
| Christine had a donor card and Mr Corker, 63, from Leeds, said: "I am glad I did it. It is what she wanted. | Christine had a donor card and Mr Corker, 63, from Leeds, said: "I am glad I did it. It is what she wanted. |
| "You can't take them with you." | "You can't take them with you." |
| Five years later he had reason to be grateful to a donor's family after a virus destroyed his 12-year-old daughter Lauren's kidneys. | Five years later he had reason to be grateful to a donor's family after a virus destroyed his 12-year-old daughter Lauren's kidneys. |
| She got an organ, but others are not so lucky, and Mr Corker is a strong advocate for carrying donor cards. | She got an organ, but others are not so lucky, and Mr Corker is a strong advocate for carrying donor cards. |
| Donor shortfall | Donor shortfall |
| Statistics from the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) show that despite 96% of people saying that they would accept a donor organ, only 27% have actually signed up for the Organ Donor Register themselves. | Statistics from the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) show that despite 96% of people saying that they would accept a donor organ, only 27% have actually signed up for the Organ Donor Register themselves. |
| Christine had a donor card and I said they could have what they wanted, I just had to sign on the dotted line Colin Corker | Christine had a donor card and I said they could have what they wanted, I just had to sign on the dotted line Colin Corker |
| Jeanette Foley, donor transplant co-ordinator for London, said it was important people registered for organ donation rather than just carrying a card. | Jeanette Foley, donor transplant co-ordinator for London, said it was important people registered for organ donation rather than just carrying a card. |
| "The donor cards were brilliant when they came out," she said. | "The donor cards were brilliant when they came out," she said. |
| "But people lose them or keep them in wallets, which aren't always checked in accidents. | "But people lose them or keep them in wallets, which aren't always checked in accidents. |
| "There is a huge disproportion of people donating and wanting an organ. And the fact that people die every day gives an indication of this. | "There is a huge disproportion of people donating and wanting an organ. And the fact that people die every day gives an indication of this. |
| People should let their relatives know their wishes | People should let their relatives know their wishes |
| "We are nowhere near the amount of organ donors we need." | "We are nowhere near the amount of organ donors we need." |
| The original kidney donor card was launched in the 1970s and the NHS Organ Donor Register followed in October 1994. | The original kidney donor card was launched in the 1970s and the NHS Organ Donor Register followed in October 1994. |
| Mr Corker said he took every possible opportunity to stress the importance of carrying a donor card. | Mr Corker said he took every possible opportunity to stress the importance of carrying a donor card. |
| "I push it all the time, even at work I ask people whether they are on the donor list." | "I push it all the time, even at work I ask people whether they are on the donor list." |
| 'Grateful recipient' | 'Grateful recipient' |
| However, he stressed it had been an easy choice to make about releasing his wife's organs as she had made her own choices so clear. | However, he stressed it had been an easy choice to make about releasing his wife's organs as she had made her own choices so clear. |
| "I got a phone call from the landlady of the pub, where Christine worked, saying that my wife had collapsed," he said. | "I got a phone call from the landlady of the pub, where Christine worked, saying that my wife had collapsed," he said. |
| "I knew she had been working hard and was on a detox diet and I thought she had overdone it. She had lost the use of one side of her body. | "I knew she had been working hard and was on a detox diet and I thought she had overdone it. She had lost the use of one side of her body. |
| "The last thing she said to me was: 'My head feels like it is going to explode'. An ambulance came and she had six seizures in 10 minutes." | "The last thing she said to me was: 'My head feels like it is going to explode'. An ambulance came and she had six seizures in 10 minutes." |
| ORGAN DONATION Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009, 3,513 organ transplants were carried out from 1,853 donors977 lives were saved in the UK through a heart, lung, liver or combined heart/lungs, liver/kidney, liver/pancreas, heart/kidney or liver/kidney/pancreas transplantA total of 2,536 patients received a kidney, pancreas or combined kidney/pancreas transplantA further 2,711 people had their sight restored through a corneal transplantAt the end of March 2009, 7,877 patients were listed as actively waiting for a transplant | ORGAN DONATION Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009, 3,513 organ transplants were carried out from 1,853 donors977 lives were saved in the UK through a heart, lung, liver or combined heart/lungs, liver/kidney, liver/pancreas, heart/kidney or liver/kidney/pancreas transplantA total of 2,536 patients received a kidney, pancreas or combined kidney/pancreas transplantA further 2,711 people had their sight restored through a corneal transplantAt the end of March 2009, 7,877 patients were listed as actively waiting for a transplant |
| Mrs Corker, who was 43, was rushed to hospital with a brain haemorrhage. | Mrs Corker, who was 43, was rushed to hospital with a brain haemorrhage. |
| She was in a coma for two days, but was declared clinically dead in 2001. | She was in a coma for two days, but was declared clinically dead in 2001. |
| "The man from the transplant unit came and said, 'Have you considered donating your wife's organs?'" Mr Corker said. | "The man from the transplant unit came and said, 'Have you considered donating your wife's organs?'" Mr Corker said. |
| "Christine had a donor card and I said they could have what they wanted, I just had to sign on the dotted line. | "Christine had a donor card and I said they could have what they wanted, I just had to sign on the dotted line. |
| "They took both kidneys, lungs, liver - they couldn't use her heart because of the drugs she had been given. | "They took both kidneys, lungs, liver - they couldn't use her heart because of the drugs she had been given. |
| "Somebody who had suffered from cystic fibrosis all her life got her lungs. Unfortunately she later died, but I think the other three are still surviving." | "Somebody who had suffered from cystic fibrosis all her life got her lungs. Unfortunately she later died, but I think the other three are still surviving." |
| He said his daughter Lauren, now 16, had also been a grateful recipient of a donation from a stranger - thanks to the family of a 22-year-old road traffic accident victim. | He said his daughter Lauren, now 16, had also been a grateful recipient of a donation from a stranger - thanks to the family of a 22-year-old road traffic accident victim. |
| "Lauren had been on dialysis for two years. It was a really good match. It could not have been closer and everything has gone beautifully since. | "Lauren had been on dialysis for two years. It was a really good match. It could not have been closer and everything has gone beautifully since. |
| "You just can't say how grateful you are to the donor." | "You just can't say how grateful you are to the donor." |