I started this educational project because frankly I was cajoled (in the nicest possible way) by the lovely people at Wythenshawe Transplant Clinic to use my teaching skills and get out into to school, colleges and hospitals to encourage people to think more positively about transplants and donation. One person in particular, Ruth Martyszczuk, thought it would be the best therapy for me following a long period of stay in hospital waiting for a heart and kidney transplant. Ruth was my post operative care sister who knew that transplants are far more than just about 'fixing the plumbing'. Ruth encouraged the re-build of the whole person - physically, mentally and emotionally. With over 20 years experience at the job she knew what she was doing. Hundreds of heart and lung recipients at Wythenshawe owe Ruth a tremendous debt of thanks for her encouragement and support over the years. She is deeply missed.

At first my presentations were very brief and a bit defensive, in some ways apologetic. I almost felt guilty taking up the time of people to ask them to think about life saving transplants and the need for more donors. That tends to be the way we consider a lot of issues to do with health and death. It’s as if we would rather not discuss topics that will affect us all at some point in our lives. If end of life choices to do with donation are only discussed by the death bed surely this is too late? For a lot of people questions about human vulnerability and mortality are best to be avoided – ignored, pushed to one side. “Life is for living – not talking about morbid things like death.” But surely the subject of death is only meaningful in the context of the sanctity of life. Transplants and donation further the sanctity of life – they are life promoting activities.

So the nature of the talks has evolved. An appeal for more donors has limited impact unless people understand why they might need a transplant. A better understanding of transplantation is a pre-requisite to asking people to be donors. Consequently the educational package has grown in to a medical, ethical, legal and political consideration of transplantation as a whole and all donor opportunities. To ask bluntly for more solid organ donors goes down like a lead balloon. Placed in a wider life saving context of what transplants can achieve along with blood, bone marrow, sperm, embryo, tissue and solid organ donation allows audiences to reach a level of involvement appropriate to them.

A broad educational approach

The objective of Dteg is to encourage all educational and training institutions to take on board this learning approach. Yes, donation is an altruistic gift. There is no extrinsic, financial reward for donation in the UK. In fact this is strictly forbidden under the terms of the 2004 Human Tissue Act. No element of incentive or reward is allowed. But the altruistic approach to donation does not stimulate sufficient support from the public. Consequently we have to encourage people to view the act of donation in a different light. Perhaps a self-insurance approach? What if you needed a blood transfusion or a kidney transplant? What if your child developed Cystic Fibrosis and needed a lung transplant? Does that approach focus the mind more? Of course, there is the simple citizenship idea. What greater act of citizenship is there? What more can you offer your fellow citizens than the gift of life? There is also the view that to be a donor is a social obligation. After all the NHS gives everyone the right to a transfusion or transplant provided they meet the relevant medical criteria. The simple logic says we all have the responsibility to be donors. When this view comes up in discussion it does cause real concern in the minds of some people.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust made 12 points in their evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union in October 2007 in relation to transplants. Their third point is very interesting - it is given verbatim here:

This is an interesting idea. If taken literally I presume the Cystic Fibrosis Trust mean that if you are not already signed up to be a donor you should not expect to receive a transplant. Would that focus the minds of the nation and encourage people to consent to donation? Maybe it could. But that supposes people accept that the need for a transplant could happen to them. In my experience transplants are viewed as something that happens to everyone else!

Clearly there are many moral, spiritual and religious considerations that come into this equation. The Dteg talks attempt to open a discussion of these issues too. Eventually this website will contain materials that highlight the different attitudes to transplants and donation that exist in the UK.

The lack of time and financial investment limit the pace at which this project can progress.

The Donor Transplant Education Group was set up as a not-for-profit community interest company in March 2009 after two years of funding the talks privately. Dteg is registered with Companies House (registration number 06832831) – as the service it offers is freely available we rely on public donations. So if you know of any Russian oligarchs that have some cash left over from running their football team, or any American club owners come to that, please point them in our direction! In the meantime the Dteg enterprise remains a voluntary 'labour of love' with significant out-of-pocket expenses.

Dteg activities

Dteg organises and contributes to many public engagement activities. In the past 12 months Dteg has carried out over 250 school presentations. Over 4,500 people have been addressed to help them and their families be in a position to make informed decisions about transplants and donation. We are becoming more involved in NHS staff training particularly within critical care departments. Dteg is also involved in the following:

• Organising study days in schools and colleges on transplant and donation issues
• Contributing to professional development courses with nurses and medics in conjunction with donor coordinator teams
• Supporting awareness raising events such as National Transplant Week
• Talking to voluntary groups and charities
• Assisting the training of volunteer peer educator groups on transplant issues
• Providing educational resources for transplant and donation learning programmes
• Organising regional conferences on transplant and donor awareness targeting young adults who may be aspiring to roles in the health service
• Working alongside policy makers, administrators and other agencies to increase the number of registered donors and maximise the number of transplants.

Please use the ‘Contact’ page of this website if you would like to support this educational project in any manner whether it is through financial funding, contributing articles to the website or participating in any awareness raising campaigns. Alternatively you can email - graham.brushett@yahoo.co.uk

TRANSPLANTS SAVE LIVES, MONEY and MISERY.