Two NHS figures who play key roles supporting families waiting for transplants in Newcastle have spoken about their roles on the "extraordinary journey". Julie Flett and Stephanie Dunn both work for the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs both the Freeman and the Royal Victoria Infirmary hospitals.
Julie's role as a paediatric transplant nurse specialist
Julie is a paediatric transplant nurse specialist, which means she is on hand day-to-day to support families. She has been doing the job 23 years.
Julie said: "At the heart of my role has always been the belief that caring for a child means caring for the whole family. Transplantation can be an extraordinary journey, but it can also be frightening and overwhelming. Sometimes what families need most is simply someone who will listen, explain things again and be there when things feel difficult."
Julie said that watching a child thrive post-transplant was incredibly rewarding. She added: "It is a real privilege to watch children go from being very unwell to becoming confident young people and eventually moving into adult services. A transplant is often a second chance at life, and being able to support families through that journey is incredibly special."
Stephanie's role as a transplant co-ordinator
Stephanie, a transplant co-ordinator, works across the organ donation process to ensure that everything necessary is carried out in time to enable a transplant to go ahead. She will be involved while a patient is waiting for a transplant, and then as soon as donor organs become available.
She plays a role in ensuring the lifesaving organs arrive in the right place to transform someone's future. She said: "The role is so unique because no two days are ever the same.
"One of the best parts of the job is seeing patients go to theatre for their transplant and knowing how much their life is about to change. Not only can a transplant improve quality of life, it can also give people many more years with their loved ones."
Organ Donation Week and the urgent response
Both women have spoken about their love for their jobs to mark organ donation week - which this year comes amid a worrying shortfall in the availability of donor organs. Organ donation week has this year run from September 21 to 27. At the start of the week, NHS Blood and Transplant has launched an "urgent response" to tackle the shortfall donation rates.
This comes as the agency figures show that, in the North East alone, there were 341 people waiting for an organ transplant as of August 31 this year.
To find out more, or confirm your support for organ donation, visit organdonation.nhs.uk, call 0300 123 23 23 or use the NHS app. It is important to tell loved ones about your decision - as while the system is now "opt-out", it is common for families to overrule a loved ones decision.
