Families of children whose lives were saved by organ transplants have expressed fury and disgust over the sale of 'Human Organ Lunch Bags' in the run-up to Christmas.
Campaigners Condemn 'Sick' Christmas Product
The controversial items, which are red and white insulated bags designed to resemble human organs, are supplied by a British company called 'The Diabolical Gift People'. They have been available for purchase on several online platforms, including Debenhams, and were also stocked in select Next stores.
On the Debenhams website, where the bags were priced at £18.99, the product was marketed as a way to "add a touch of humour to your lunchtime routine" and described as a "fun conversation starter".
Organ donation campaigner Terry Archbold, 47, whose four-year-old daughter Beatrix waited 15 months for a heart transplant, slammed the product. "It is in extremely poor taste and made even worse by being sold at this time of year," he said. "Many families are thinking of the loved ones they have lost who have given their organs to save lives. Others have been kept alive thanks to that gift and it is hard for them too. It is simply out of order."
Transplant Recipients Lead Calls for Ban
Terry, a police officer from Burnopfield, County Durham, and Beatrix's mother, Cheryl Adamson, 42, have personal experience with both loss and donation. In 2018, they lost their daughter Isabel when she was stillborn and donated her heart for medical research.
Their sentiments are echoed by Kaylee-Ann Davidson-Olley, 38, from Houghton-le-Spring, who made history in 1987 as the UK's first successful heart transplant baby. She discovered the bags in a Next store in Newcastle and found them "grossly offensive and upsetting".
After she complained to the store manager, the items were removed from that particular shop. However, Kaylee-Ann is campaigning for a nationwide ban. "I am campaigning to have them removed from all stores," she stated. "There are 8,000 people on the organ transplant waiting list in the UK and 258 of them are children. People's lives are changed forever by organ donation and these bags are just so offensive."
Retailers React and Supplier Defends 'Humour'
In response to the backlash, Next issued a statement confirming action: "This was a branded item that was sold in a select number of Next stores. We have instructed that this item be removed from all stores that currently have it on sale with immediate effect."
The Diabolical Gift People, which describes itself as a small independent UK business specialising in humour-led gifts, defended the product. A spokesperson said: "We believe that laughter helps many people cope with difficult and sensitive subjects. This product has been bought and enjoyed by healthcare professionals... as well as by transplant recipients who have found a sense of comedic relief in it."
The company added that the bag was not intended to cause distress and expressed "utmost respect" for donors and recipients, noting that a third of their team are registered organ donors. Debenhams was approached for comment.
The controversy emerges against the backdrop of Max and Keira's Law – the opt-out organ donation system introduced in England in May 2020 – which was championed by the Mirror's Change the Law for Life campaign.
