Amputee makes plea for more people to join organ donor register

A man who has lost both his legs has made a plea for more organ donors.

Ronnie McIntosh suffers from a rare autoimmune condition called Sjogren's Syndrome. It led to kidney failure and ultimately resulted in the amputation of both of his legs.

Before he became seriously ill in 1993, the Dundee man was a successful marathon and fell runner.

On Monday he spoke out to support NHS Tayside during National Transplant Week which runs until Sunday.

Mr McIntosh said he was "right behind the campaign" and stressed its importance.

He said having a kidney transplant has given him a "second chance at life".

"When I got the call I was so excited. It was a second chance for me. It's a really important thing for people to do," he said.

The theme of the campaign is "Pass it On", highlighting the importance of people passing on the message to their family and friends.

June Osborne, specialist nurse in organ donation, said: "The theme 'Pass it On' is about encouraging people to join the Organ Donor Register and then pass on their donation wishes to family and friends.

"If you join the Register without telling the people closest to you, your wishes may come as a surprise at an extremely sensitive time when they are trying to deal with their loss, and this could result in them not giving permission for your organs to be donated.

"Over 90% of families will agree to donation if a loved one is registered and has discussed their wishes. This drops to around 40% if donation wishes aren't known. Please help us to improve these figures so more donations can take place, and more lives can be saved."

For more information visit National Transplant Week or the STV Health Centre.

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