Anna Burnett Fashion Show

http://www.waterloofoundation.org.uk

Chloe Jane Ball Trust

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Ste Tighe Football Tournament

Andy and Colin at the NYC Marathon

Emma with Philipa from SAODF

On 7th August 2007, Saxophonist Andy Williamson was donated a kidney by his friend Maff Potts, a Hammond Organist, bringing an end to Andy's time on kidney dialysis. Following the transplant, they formed "Big Buzzard & the Organ Grinders" and have released a single to encourage others to think about making this amazing gift of life.

All profits from sales of the single will go to Live Life Then Give Life. To find out more and order your copy please visit www.haveoneofmine.com.

The single was recorded just 22 days after their operation and released at a superb launch party at The Clink in London on 28th November 2007. As well as a live Organ Grinders performance of the "Live Life Then Give Life" single and a host of other tracks, the line up also featured a comedic play about organ donation performed by Spare Parts Theatre Co. Following this, "the greatest DJ in the world", Antonio Marrese, entertained the crowd into the early hours. We would like to thank Andy and Maff for choosing to donate funds to Live Life Then Give Life and congratulate them on the great work they are doing in raising awareness of the need for organ donors!

Earlier this year, Live Life Then Give Life were extremely privileged to be chosen as the nominated charity for a football tournament in memory of a very special young man called Stephen Tighe.

23-year old Stephen was attacked on a night out in Bootle, Merseyside on June 3rd 2006 and tragically died later in hospital. Despite their devastating shock and grief, Stephen’s loving family made the generous decision to donate his organs. As a result, 5 lives were saved that night (including those of two children) when Stephen’s heart, liver and kidneys were transplanted.

Stephen was a keen footballer who had played in Everton’s youth team as a youngster and was a manager of a junior league football team. It was therefore highly appropriate that on the 1st anniversary of Stephen’s death, his former workmates at Littlewoods Direct held their 5-a-side charity football tournament in Stephen’s memory.

The day itself was a wonderful tribute to Stephen, with 50 teams turning out to take part. Live Life Then Give Life committee members Hal Cohen and Jen Dickinson were proud to be present on the day and all the LLTGL team felt honoured that the charity had been chosen to receive the funds raised.

On 17th November, Hal Cohen attended the presentation of the funds raised from the football tournament and raffle, which amounted to a fantastic £3416.34! These funds will make so much difference to what LLTGL can achieve and thanks to this money we can ensure that more lives are saved through organ donation and transplantation.

(Left to Right): Barry Williams, Pete Davis and Aruna Arya from Littlewoods Direct, Hal Cohen from LLTGL, Paula and Marty Tighe

All of us at LLTGL would like to offer our sincere thanks to the Tighe family and all at Littlewoods Direct for helping us in this way. Stephen’s legacy will go on in the lives he saved and in the work he has helped us to do in spreading awareness of the greatest gift of all – the Gift of Life. He and his family remain an inspiration to us all.

As July drew to a close Anders Gibson our Scottish rep attended the Transplant Games August kicked off with a bang as Jen Dickinson attended Hyde Park Unity Day in Leeds, setting up an organ donor awareness stall which brought the crowds flocking to pick up leaflets; proof again that most people just don’t get round to registering and would actually do so if they had the chance. Are you aware of a fete or fair in your area where we could raise awareness? If so please let us know through the contact us page.

Peter Williams, amazing dad of three, was running out of time. He needed a new heart and had been on an LVAD (machine that does the job of his heart) for longer than anyone in Europe and the situation was getting desperate. Live Life Then Give Life managed to secure him an article in the Sun followed by two TV appearances. Then merely a week after his first media hit, Peter got the call him and his wife had been so desperately waiting for. In spite of being so ill prior to his transplant he bounced back at a remarkable speed and was discharged after just four weeks. Thanks to the gift of a stranger, the decision of a person at a terribly tragic time, Peter and his family are embarking on the opening chapter of a whole new life together.

As September arrived it was full steam ahead again, with Live Life Then Give Life making an appearance at the Scottish Parliament, thanks to the hard work of Scottish representative Anders Gibson, one of the new members of the team. We gave a presentation “Focus on Organ Donation in Scotland” in which we laid out facts and figures, John Forsythe (transplant surgeon and president of the British Transplant Society) provided a surgeons view, and transplant patient Jacqueline had MSPs present (including health minister Shona Robison) spellbound, as she relayed her thoughts and feelings about waiting for a desperately needed transplant. Click here to read the Daily Record’s report on her speech.

Sadly whilst in Scotland, we received a real blow; Robyn Tainty, a beautiful vivacious 24 year old, had lost her battle to Cystic Fibrosis after waiting more than two years for a call that never came. Robyn came into the media spotlight this year as she was featured as the face of National Transplant Week, organised by Transplants in Mind. She appeared on GMTV and in several newspaper articles, trying to raise awareness of the plight in this country for those waiting. When she spoke at the House of Lords, you could have heard a pin drop. You can read more about her on the Sussex University site and her Transplants in Mind profile here.

Robyn was a feisty confident positive young woman, always thinking of others, always going forward with a smile on her face, and it was a true shock to us all to lose her. Everyone at Live Life Then Give Life is thinking of her family and friends at this very sad time.

This is unfortunately another strong reminder of how much work there is still to be done. Every single day a life is lost due to the shortage of organ donors and without some sort of change, the waiting lists will grow longer and the losses will increase. Live Life Then Give Life remains committed to raising awareness and improving things in the UK. If anyone would like to help us in our quest please just contact us using the box on the site. And keep spreading the word!

July has been an incredibly busy month for the Live Life Then Give Life team. On Thursday 5 th July Emma and Emily attended the launch of National Transplant Week at the House of Lords, coordinated by Transplants in Mind. It was a great opportunity to meet others involved with organ donation and transplantation awareness. National Transplant Week itself ran from 7 – 14 th July. During this time LLTGL was featured prominently in both National and Local media, including Richard and Judy, ITV, and the Daily Express. Thanks to many open and honest volunteers, stories about life on the list circulated round the country, helping the public understand why organ donation is so important.

To mark the start of National Transplant Week the LLTGL team decided to trek up to Birmingham to build the world’s biggest loveheart! The idea arose after a discussion with Pete Wilcock, the owner of website Pimp that Snack, who is a keen supporter of the LLTGL campaign. Regular visitors to his website are encouraged to construct giant versions of everyday snacks. By teaming up, the hope was to attract attention to the Organ Donor Register and highlight the benefits of organ donation and transplantation.

Aided by a generous supply of ingredients from Supercook and with backing from Transplants in Mind, the LLTGL volunteers set about constructing the unusual creation. Amongst the fun, other members of the team were on hand to answer questions, provide information on how to become a donor and talk to shoppers about how organ donation and transplants had touched their lives.

Encouraging people to sign up were the Blue Watch from Ladywood Fire Station in Birmingham and Sparkles face-painting, who provided entertainment for visitors to the city-centre stunt. Swizzels-Matlow also donated special packs of Loveheart sweets for the event, which gave people even more information about how to sign up to the Organ Donor Register.

The following week was unexpectedly busy when Sir Liam Donaldson announced his proposal that the UK should change to an opt-out organ donation policy. Sir Liam’s full report on the subject can be read here. Due to the breaking news, Emma Emily and their many team members were kept frantically busy, doing both personal accounts and giving their opinions on the subject. One of the most accurate and detailed interviews was done by Jen Dickenson, a kidney patient, on the Jeremy Vine show, where he also interviewed Sir Liam Donaldson himself.

National Transplant Week, run by the charity Transplants in Mind starts this Saturday, 7th July. This is a key week for anyone touched by transplantation or organ donation as it is a time to try and raise the profile about this vital yet under-publicised issue.

Emma and Emily have a very full week speaking to numerous journalists, including Emily's appearance on Richard and Judy on Monday 9th July, and with both ladies featuring on ITV at some point in the week. We also have some amazing volunteers who have been touched by transplant or organ donation and will be sharing their stories this week in an attempt to raise that much needed awareness.

This Saturday, to mark the beginning of National Transplant Week, Emily, Emma and some dedicated team members, are trekking up to Birmingham to build the world's biggest Love Heart! We have kindly been sponsored by Swizzels-Matlow and Supercook, and we're hoping that this will attract attention and help kick-start the week with a bang.

Emma and Emily are very aware that supporters of Live Life Then Give Life want to actively do something to help raise awareness, so what can you do?

As always Emma and Emily are incredibly grateful for everyone's help and support. The girls want to encourage everyone to use this week as an opportunity to go out and spread the word about the wonders of organ donation, and who knows how many lives you might save. Thank you.

We had the most amazing start to 2007 as on January 4 th Emily got the call she had been hoping and dreaming of for two years...matching donor lungs had been found for her! Despite several weeks in Intensive Care following the complex operation, we were delighted when Emily was finally discharged on March 16 th with a whole new life in front of her thanks to the greatest gift of all – the gift of life.

Thanks to her generous donor and their family, Emily has been transformed from someone who was within weeks of dying, to someone with health, happiness and a future. Incredibly, just 4 weeks since her discharge from hospital, she is now planning to take part in the Women’s Hydroactive 5km Challenge in Hyde Park, London in September!

Emily says:

“I find myself grinning inanely sporadically throughout the day. Every day there are a thousand little moments where I stop and think “I can’t believe I am doing this, I can’t believe I got my transplant” and have to pinch myself to believe it is all real. I take great joy in sitting and taking a really deep breath…just because I can. Words cannot express my gratitude to my donor and their family; I was determined to live but all my hopes and dreams depended on their decision. They have saved my life. “

You can find out more about Emily’s progress by clicking here: www.pinkandsmiley.blogspot.com

Laughter for Life!

On 4th March 2007 we celebrated the first anniversary of the Live Life Then Give Life Campaign with a star-studded comedy night called "Laughter for Life!" at the Mermaid Events Centre in Blackfriars, London. The night was hosted by the fantastic Bill Bailey and featured an amazing line-up of stars including Dara O Briain, Rob Rouse, Glenn Wool, Ian Stone and Geoff Whiting as well as the sounds of the Big Buzzard Boogie Band.

The event raised ÂŁ20,000 which has been used to fund a specialist in donor management based at Harefield Hospital Middlesex, to increase the number of transplant operations carried out in the South of England. We are incredibly grateful to all those who gave their time and efforts during the 6 months of work leading up to the event and for the generosity of the comedians involved.

T-shirt Sales

In the last 12 months we have sold approximately 1400 T-shirts, generating considerable funds for the charity Transplants In Mind. However there are still plenty of stocks of both designs available so make sure that this summer you show the world your support for organ donation by wearing these highly fashionable T-shirts, as modelled by numerous celebrities!

Future Plans

We have many plans in store for this year! The campaign has proved so successful that Emma and Emily are finding it hard to manage everything by themselves. Oli Lewington joined our campaign team in January 2007 and we will be announcing more new members of the team in the next few weeks. The website is also due to undergo a refurbishment and we have plans to increase our range of merchandise and our awareness-raising activities across the country – so watch this space!!!

As 2006 draws to a close, it's hard to believe that it was only this year we launched the Live Life Then Give Life campaign. Keep checking in for exciting news of how we will be marking our first year anniversary!

After 11 long weeks, Emily was finally discharged from hospital in October after battling through numerous lung collapses. She is steadily regaining strength but knows that her lungs now have “no reserve” and that the need for a transplant is more urgent than ever. February 2007 will mark the end of the life expectancy prediction she was given when listed for transplant. She is however remaining determined to beat the doctors' expectations and intends to keep on campaigning and fighting for as long as she can.

The Live Life Then Give Life slideshow also went public in October, and to date has had over 37,000 views. For the best viewing experience you may need to adjust your volume. Please feel free to pass on the links below to help us spread the word.

View the video at One True Media:-
Live Life Then Give Life Campaign

Or at You Tube:-
Live Life Then Give Life Campaign

On the 14th December, Emma attended the filming of a new TV programme called "Fortune" (currently being televised on ITV1 on Tuesday evenings). Organ donor campaigners Sue and Richard Cansdale faced a panel of millionaires in a bid to convince them to help encourage more people to consider organ donation through the funding of a book and DVD about the lives of those affected by organ donation. Sue and Richard decided to produce the book after their daughter Zoe was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 22, and they fulfilled their daughter's wish to help others live after her death by agreeing to allow her organs to be donated. As a result two children's lives were saved and a young man had his sight restored. The episode has not yet been televised to we can not tell you what happens but one thing is sure... there were very few dry eyes in the studio after their pitch and it will definitely be worth watching!

With Christmas approaching, Emma and Emily decided to launch a media campaign focussing on the greatest gift that any of can ever give or receive - the Gift of Life. Numerous volunteers around the country - such as transplant recipients and those on the waiting list - spoke to the press about their experiences and urged people to consider signing the NHS Organ Donor Register. There was an overwhelmingly positive response from the media, with every volunteer having at least one interview, including radio, TV, magazines and both local and national newspapers. Real life stories are vital in helping to explain to people just what a difference, and to keep the issue in the public eye. If you have been touched by transplantation or organ donation and would like to help us with further media work, please do not hesitate to get in touch via the contact option at the top right of the page.

The following are links to some of the media coverage we achieved in the run-up to Christmas:

• Kayley
• Peter
• Holly
• Emma
• Jen
• Nicola
• Lucy
• The Prior Family

On behalf of all those touched by organ donation and transplantation, Emily and Emma would like to thank everyone for their continued support this year and are looking forward to continuing with and expanding the Live Life Then Give Life campaign in 2007.

The last few months have seen the LLTGL Campaign go from strength to strength. It seems amazing to think that we only launched six months ago as so much has happened! Here is a brief round-up of what’s been going on:

Progress of the campaign:

Things are going really well with the campaign! We hoped that people would lend us their support when they realised why we desperately we need more organ donors in the UK, but we never quite expected quite the level of enthusiasm that we have been receiving since the launch. Media coverage has been fantastic. In the last month alone we have received coverage through GMTV, the BBC’s website, the Sharon Osbourne Show, ITN and the Daily Express. Equally important to us has been all the people who individually have offered us help in spreading the message far and wide and continue to come up with original ideas to help us spread the message and get people talking and thinking more about organ donation. Thank you all!

T-Shirt Sales

Sales of the LLTGL T-shirts have been phenomenal and we have now sold over 1200 T-shirts in just 6 months! Don’t worry though... we still have plenty in stock so please keep those orders coming in. By wearing one of our T-shirts you are helping raise awareness of organ donation and who knows how many people you might inspire to sign up!

New LLTGL Myspace Site

Want to keep up with all our news on a day-to-day basis? We now have a Live Life Then Give Life Campaign Myspace site that is extremely popular. Please visit us at: www.myspace.com/idgiveyouone and take a look! We have over 1700 members who provide us with wonderful support and there is a blog on the site that we update at least once a week with all of our news. We welcome all other Myspace users so just send us a friendship request and we will be delighted to add you.

National Transplant Week: 9-15 July 2006

Emily and Emma went to the House of Lords on 6 July 2006 to help launch National Transplant Week. Emily gave a speech about what life is like waiting for a double lung transplant and both she and Emma really enjoyed meeting a whole variety of people including Lords and Ladies, transplant surgeons, those who have received transplants and many of the people who are working so hard in the area of organ donor awareness.

Emily, Emma and the LLTGL campaign were featured on various television and radio programmes during Transplant Week 2006. These included ITN News, GMTV and a variety of regional news and radio programmes. We also took part in the Brighton Transplant Trek in association with the charity Heart Transplant Families Together.

The results from National Transplant Week 2006 were fantastic. During the week there were 60,700 calls and texts to the Organ Donor Line and 37,000 new people signed on the NHS Organ Donor Register! It definitely made all the hard work worthwhile and we continue to push on with raising more awareness, encouraged by this show of support from the British public.

Latest News on Emily

Emily has been seriously ill in hospital for the last 8 weeks, having suffered four pneumothoraces (collapsed lungs) during that time. The most serious of these occurred towards the end of July and resulted in Emily being in rushed to Intensive Care fighting for her life. However she defeated the doctors’ expectations and has fought back, although she is still very unwell; doctors have made it clear she no longer has any reserve left and she is well aware that her time is now fast running out. She remains in hospital whilst the doctors try to stabilise her lungs from further collapses.

Four weeks ago, after 17 months of no news Emily received her first “false alarm” when she was called to Harefield Hospital as donor lungs had been received that were a match for her. However, after being prepared for surgery it was found that one of the lungs was damaged and the operation could not go ahead. However she remains positive that someone somewhere will make that incredible decision to donate the gift of Life to her before it is too late, and in the meantime her and Emma continue to do all they can to raise as much awareness as possible about organ donation through the Live Life Then Give Life campaign.

In just one month, the Live Life Then Give Life campaign has already inspired and motivated people of all ages from all around the UK. From schoolchildren to grandparents, from families to celebrities, people are spreading the message “Live Life Then Give Life” by wearing those all important T-shirts!

The campaign has been featured in many newspapers and on various radio stations nationwide, as well as in the Daily Express and OK Magazine! We have also gone international, receiving orders from America, Sweden and Iceland. Inspirational Kayley Keir (11) who received a heart and lung transplant last year was given a standing ovation when she appeared on the pitch with her mum sporting a T-shirt at the Everton v Fulham game on 11th March. An article about Kayley and the campaign appeared in the following week's match programme.

Emily is currently in hospital battling several infections but both Emma and Emily are still campaigning hard and are incredibly grateful for people's support and help. The fact remains that over 400 people a year die waiting for a transplant and the transplant rate is still slowing - the message still needs to be spread. Can you help with publicity or advertising? If so, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Here is a sample of some of the articles following the campaign so far:-

• Community Newswire
• Everton FC
• Wiltshire
• Glasgow
• Suffolk
• Streatham