Pupils taught importance of organ transplants

Pupils taught importance of organ donation

Schoolchildren across Lancashire are to be given a special lesson to highlight the need for blood, organ, tissue and bone marrow donors.
Give and Let Live is a free educational resource for teachers to use in Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship classes.It is available to secondary schools across the UK and aimed at 14 to 16-year-olds, who, it is hoped, will be the lifesaving donors of the future.More than 7,000 people in the UK are currently waiting for transplants –around 400 from the Lancashire area.Hutton Grammar School, near Preston, is one of the first schools in Lancashire to sign up for the educational packs, and Margaret Hughes, personal development co-ordinator at the school, said: "I will be introducing the topic into lessons and opening it up for debate."There are a lot of interesting angles such as should people opt in or opt out when it comes to becoming a donor. Some young people may not know what is involved with donating blood, organs or bone marrow and we will be covering this."A lot of the children may not appreciate how important donation is, unless they, or a family member, have benefited from the donation."We will not be telling people that they should become donors as
that is all down to personal choice. We will provide them with as much information as we can so they can make an informed personal decision about what they want to do."Produced by NHS Blood and Transplant, Give and Let Live comprises a website along with lesson plans, activity sheets, real life stories, debating topics, games, films and other activities.The aim is to show young people how they can make a difference to other people's lives, dispel myths and help them decide whether giving blood, joining the NHS Organ Donor Register, or signing up to a bone marrow registry is something they would like to do.Dr Tim Wallington of NHS Blood and Transplant said: "There is a critical and ongoing need for donated organs, blood, tissue, and bone marrow."The support of the public is vital to enable the life-saving procedures to take place that are made possible by these donations."
Last Updated: 22 October 2007 1:04 PM