October 7, 2019

You don’t have to do anything extreme… we just want you to register

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Margot’s brothers, Oscar & Rufus, visit her at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)

Swabbing by boat

WeRowYouRegister.org

On Monday 7 October 2013, Margot was diagnosed with blood cancer. Today is the first Monday 7 October since that day, and the fifth year we have promoted a Team Margot Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Registration Day. 

Team Margot campaigns for everyone who is eligible, particularly those of mixed heritage, to register as a stem cell and bone marrow donor. 

This year we are promoting this message via the Team Margot Atlantic Rowers and our #WeRowYouRegister campaign. Our three man team will embark on the 3,000 mile Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge on 12 December, rowing from La Gomera in the Canaries to Antigua in the largest race yet.map-of-twac

The idea is that you don’t have to do anything extreme, like rowing across the Atlantic, we just want you to join the register. 

Margot needed blood

On arrival at GOSH, Margot urgently needed platelets to stabilise her clotting function & also red blood cells to replace her blood, which was riddled with leukaemia

Whilst our core message hasn’t changed, along the way we have reflected upon the circumstances of Margot’s situation & her urgent need for blood and platelets 6 years ago today, as well as how Vicki and I considered donating Margot’s organs shortly before her death. 

Screenshot 2019-10-06 at 22.24.58The culture and philosophy of donation is central to it all and we refer to this as ‘giving to help others’.

In partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, we launched givingtohelpothers.org two years ago and this week we will be notifying tens of thousands of primary school teachers and PSHE coordinators directly via email, of our latest education module “All About Organs”, in advance of the new law change around organ donation in Spring next year. 

The Orgamites have a starring role in our "All About Organs" module

The Orgamites have the starring roles in our “All About Organs” module

WRYRCentral to ’Max and Kiera’s law’ is the practical involvement of family and loved ones with the decision to donate the organs of the deceased. 

Please spare a moment today to talk about donation with your loved ones, so that each of you knows of the others decision. 

Someday, it might help them to honour your choice at a difficult time, and help you to honour theirs. 

Thank you. 

Screenshot 2019-10-06 at 22.03.47Screenshot 2019-10-06 at 22.07.56Team Margot
Together, saving lives

 

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN SAVE A LIFE

(click on the links below)

WHAT’S INVOLVED WITH A STEM CELL
OR BONE MARROW DONATION

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A STEM CELL TRANSPLANT AND
A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT

HOW TO REGISTER AS A
STEM CELL OR BONE MARROW DONOR

BECOME A BLOOD DONOR 

Screenshot 2019-10-06 at 22.08.21Screenshot 2019-10-06 at 22.40.18REGISTER AS AN ORGAN DONOR

Husband to Vicki and father to Oscar (2007), Rufus (2008), Digby (2015), Humphrey (2017) & Margot (2012-2014)

Posted in: Journal