Young woman who had life-saving transplant calling on others to sign donor register

Katy Taylor-Hamilton, 22, has spoken out after the legislation – which will be known as Max and Keira’s Law, after a boy who received a heart transplant and the girl who donated it – cleared its final hurdle in Parliament last week.

Under the new English system, consent will be presumed unless people opt out of donating organs. However, it will not come into force until next spring.

Katy, from St Bees, is now urging people to sign up to the organ donation register adding that she would not be “living her life to the fullest” if it was not for her transplant.

“Organ donation is really important,” she said. “Take me for example – I had a heart transplant over two years ago. I was on life support waiting for a new heart and all I wanted was to come home.”

She hopes that people who read her story will be encouraged to talk to their family and friends about their options.

Her mum Emma-Jayne Taylor believes the opt-out process is the way forward.

“My own daughter’s life was saved by someone who had signed the register and had had the ‘conversation’ with their family which allowed the transplant to take place,” she explained. “Without it, Katy would most certainly have died.

“There are many arguments that people put forward – ‘I’m too old, I’ve been ill, my religion won’t allow it’. These are mostly untrue or incorrect.

“There are only a few reasons why donation isn’t possible. The most important part of signing (or not opting out of) the organ donor register is that you have the conversation with your family and close friends and let them know your wishes. I am forever grateful to Katy’s donor, and their family for upholding their wishes.”

According to the NHS Blood donation service, Cumbria has seen an increase in the number of donors in the last 10 years, with 208,483 now registered. But 44 people in the county are awaiting a transplant.