AN Exmouth father's campaign to change Government legislation to make the organ donor scheme opt-out rather than opt-in has been backed by East Devon district councillors.
In the same week Steve Gazzard, who is also an Exmouth town councillor, took his campaign to Westminster to challenge MPs to change the law on the scheme, councillors on East Devon District Council unanimously backed his motion for the authority to support his campaign. There are 12 people on the waiting list for a transplant in East Devon.
The Echo has followed the brave fight of Mr Gazzard's daughter Sarah Wright, a mother of three, who recently died aged 36 while waiting for a double lung transplant for a chronic lung condition. In her death, she gave life to three other people – her kidneys and liver were donated to others who would have died without them.
At the meeting of the full council, council leader, Cllr Paul Diviani praised Mr Gazzard's representation as the most "honest and heartfelt" motion he had ever heard.
"This will mean the council will do what it can to promote the campaign," Mr Gazzard said. "It is very heartening." Mr Gazzard is adamant that more lives would be saved if people were required to opt out of the donor scheme which currently requires people to actively sign up, which he claims is resulting in organs which could be donated after someone's death going to waste. He believes his daughter could still be alive today if the scheme had been different.
Mr Gazzard's campaign has included hosting a sign-up stall in Exmouth centre over two Saturdays, during which around 110 people signed up to become organ donors.
He has now visited Parliament, accompanied by Jacquie Spencer, the NHS team manager for the South West organ donation team, where he told his daughter's story to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Transplantation. Their goal is to boost donations by 50 per cent by 2013.
Mr Gazzard said he felt very encouraged by the meeting where he challenged MPs on the current system which allows a donor's family to overturn a donor's wishes.
He added: "The law needs to change. People are dying needlessly, like Sarah, every year. There are one million donors in the UK, but up to 40 per cent are overturned by next of kin. It should be treated like a will."
To sign the petition to change the organ donor scheme to opt-out, go to http://.epeti tions.direct.gov.uk/peti tions/38220
To register as an organ donor visit www.or gandona tion.nhs.uk/ukt or call 0300 123 2323.
