Two people whose lives were changed by organ donation have taken part in a 5K to raise awareness.
Transplant recipients 40-year-old Wayne Hartley and 28-year-old Charlotte Douglas took part in Run Nation’s ‘Run Newcastle Valentine’s 5K’ at the weekend to highlight the power of organ donation and to inspire others to share their decision.
Clinical scientist at Newcastle Hospitals, Wayne Hartley, had his life transformed after receiving a kidney transplant from his sister when he was 20 years old. He said: “I had bladder issues from my teenage years, which developed into me being in and out of hospital for weeks at a time.
“This all happened at a point in my life when I could have been getting into sports or socialising and building my confidence. When I had my transplant in my twenties, I never thought sport was something I’d be able to do.”
Wayne started running during lockdown while he was shielding. He noticed that his fitness levels were decreasing and that he was becoming out of breath walking up and down the stairs, so he decided he needed to start moving, he said: “I started running when no one was around – early mornings – progressing to running two or three times a week. I never thought I would be able to do any sport, but I went from being unable to run 5K to now taking part in these runs for fun.”
During this time, Wayne also joined the British team for the World Transplant Games, where he met fellow runner Charlotte. He added: “I have met so many people with incredible stories – people who had transplants and wouldn’t be here without someone giving them the gift of life.
“It made me feel so lucky to have had a transplant, and it made me want to advocate for organ donation and raise awareness of having those conversations.”
Before her transplant, Charlotte Douglas was active and enjoyed exercise. However, in 2017, doctors told her that her kidneys were not functioning as expected and that she would soon need a kidney transplant. She said: “The year before my transplant was tough – things I would normally be able to do easily were really difficult, and I had to plan dialysis around my life.
“At the time, I didn’t really understand what having a kidney transplant would mean, as no one in my family had been affected by organ failure or needed a transplant.”
Charlotte received a kidney from her mum in 2019 and, following her transplant, started running to improve her fitness and stay active. She is keen to share her story to help others understand the impact organ donation can have. She explained: “The purpose of doing these events is to make people aware of how organ donation can give people their lives back and enhance them in ways you couldn’t imagine before transplant.
“Organ donation doesn’t come up in conversations unless you have a connection to transplant – it’s so important for people to talk to their families and share their wishes.”
Run Nation’s ‘Run Newcastle Valentine’s 5K’ supported the charity Live Life Give Life, an organ donation awareness charity encouraging people to sign up and share their organ donation choices.
Transplant nurse on ward 38 at the Freeman Hospital, Georgia Wilding, was inspired to donate her kidney after her cousin underwent two liver transplants as a child. She is now a Trustee of the charity ‘Live Life Give Life’ and spends time in schools talking about organ donation. She added: “We want to make it clear to people that it’s really important to discuss organ donation with your family and friends, so they know your decision.
“Consent rates are currently low and not improving, and we have a record-breaking number of people on the transplant waiting list. It is important to share your decision because your family are more likely to consent to donation if they know it is what you wanted.”
