17 April 2025
Being willing to donate your organs and tissue means that you could give someone else a second chance of life.
To recognise the legacy of local donors from the Borders, members of the Organ and Tissue Donation Committee at NHS Borders have planted trees on the Borders General Hospital site and are holding an event to inaugurate the space in memory and celebration of the donors. The event will take place on Monday 9 June 2025 and will be an opportunity to celebrate the donors and acknowledge the impact that their choice to donate has had on their families.
Harriet Campbell, Non-Executive Director and Organ and Tissue Donation Champion at NHS Borders said: “In my role I have experienced the impact that organ and tissue donation has; whether that is from speaking to families who have been able to honour the decision of their loved ones to be a donor when they die, or from speaking to recipients who have been given that second chance of life because of the choice of someone to be an organ donor.
“The trees we have planted in memory of the people of the Borders who have so kindly donated are a living reminder of their gift, and we are looking forward to welcoming those who have been involved in organ and tissue donation; whether a living donor, family and friends of people who have donated following their death or recipients of organs and their families and friends.
“We have invited all Borderers who have been involved with organ or tissue donation to attend Monday 9 June but if you are one of those people and you have not heard from us please get in touch with Marie Dodds (Marie.Dodds@nhs.scot) to enable us to send you further details nearer the time.
“And please, whatever your decision about organ donation, take the time to register it. In the Borders, nearly 93,000 people have registered their decision, and you can help us grow that number. If you haven’t already, take this opportunity to have the conversation with family and friends and make your decision known. It could save a life.”