The number of people in Wiltshire known to be alive thanks to organ donors has reached almost 500 according to new data released by the NHS.
The annual Transplant Activity Report shows there are 497 people living throughout the county who owe their lives to an organ donor.
These latest figures coincide with a fresh plea for local people to help maintain the positive trend trend by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.
In Wiltshire alone, the number of signatures on the Organ Donor Register has increased by 26 per cent in the past five years, with 296,529 people now carrying a donor card compared to 233,965 five years ago.
Anyone can sign up, regardless of age or physical health, with each donor capable of saving up to nine lives after their death.
This increase in public support is helping more people in Wiltshire to get lifesaving and life enhancing transplants, with 58 people in the county receiving a new organ in 2016, compared to just 35 in 2012.
Sally Johnson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It’s amazing to think of all the people alive today thanks to organ donation.
“But there is still a long way to go. Around three people still die a day in need of a transplant. Every one of those people could be a mother or a father, a daughter or a son, who might be alive today.
“Families tell us donation is a source of pride that helps them in their grieving process. We don’t want anyone in Wiltshire to miss the opportunity to save lives through organ donation. Please join the NHS Organ Donor Register. It only takes two minutes.”
More details about the NHS Organ Donor Register, including how to sign up, can be found at www.organdonation.nhs.uk.
