University of Chester kidney transplant girl is hailed a national inspiration

Dec 1 2009 Chester Chronicle

A KIDNEY transplant recipient is celebrating after being honoured with a prestigious award at the National vInspired Awards at the O2 on London.

Holly Shaw, who graduated from an Early Childhood Studies course at the University of Chester earlier this month, was presented with the vInspired Shout Award in recognition of her prolific volunteering work.

Holly, from Westbrook in Warrington, underwent a kidney transplant operation in October last year, following more than three years of dialysis while she waited for the call that changed her life.

During her time on the transplant waiting list, she set up the Gift of Life campaign to encourage people to sign the Organ Donor register, and from humble beginnings the initiative has sprung to national prominence.

Speaking after the awards event, Holly said: “The ceremony was fabulous. There were lots of guest presenters including entrepreneur James Caan, pop star Tynchy Strider and England rugby player Lewis Moody.”

The University of Chester is part of the Cheshire vInvolved Team, which also includes Youth Federation, Volunteer Centre Chester, and Congleton and District Volunteer Centre.

The team is supported by funding from v, the youth volunteering charity, as part of its £75 million National Youth Volunteering Programme, which aims to inspire 500,000 young people aged 16 to 25 to get positively involved.

Every year, more than 1,000 people die due to the lack of donor organs for transplant.

More than 9,000 people in the UK are currently on the transplant waiting list, so statistically people are more likely to need a transplant than become a donor – only 26% of the population are on the organ donor register.

For more information about Holly’s campaign, visit www.thegiftoflife.org.uk

For information about becoming an organ donor, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk