A DEVOTED Pershore brother and organ donation champion whose sister saved five lives following her death has revealed his pride his sibling ‘did die for something’.
Lloyd Dalton-Brown was among the families invited to an event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Order of St John Awards for Organ Donation and remember all donors.
Jane Dalton-Brown, from Purley was hit by a truck in 2000 and suffered fatal head injuries at just 29 years old.
In addition to the award, she and the 10,000 donors who have saved saved tens of thousands of lives will be remembered with a new memorial dedicated to all UK organ and tissue donors.
His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester unveiled a plaque dedicated to their memory at an event at the Museum of the Order of St John, in London.
The stone memorial will have a permanent home in the Cloister Garden at the museum where anyone will be able to visit it.
“When I heard Jane was getting an award, I felt very strongly on her behalf. I was very keen she did not die for nothing and is remembered,” Lloyd said.
“I felt immensely proud collecting Jane’s award and it very much keeps her memory alive. In addition I have helped to raise awareness of what organ donation is all about and I try to help people to make the decision before they are asked.
“I do wear it when suitable and I do tell people about it as it helps me introduce organ donation into the conversation. It never ceases to surprise how little people know about what it really means.
“Jane changed the lives of five other people all for the better, which means for me she indirectly lives on in them, which confirms she did die for something. Life for others.
“It is not just important but absolutely essential to recognise and promote the generosity of all donors, it is them who have made other lives possible.
“I think the memorial is excellent as it does very much give people, both donor families and recipients alike, a very real opportunity for positive reflection, which we all need to do more of.
Anthony Clarkson, director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant said:
“Organ donors give the ultimate gift of life to people they will never know and it is important we recognise the difference this makes to the lives of recipients.
“Without people being willing to donate their organs, no organ transplants would be possible.
“More than 60,000 people are alive thanks to organ donors and their families saying yes, but thousands more adults and children are still waiting for a life-saving donation.
Visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 for more.
