Organ donor campaigner wins lifetime achievement award
Wolverhampton organ donor campaigner Rosemary Cox has won a lifetime achievement award at the Pride of Britain Awards.
After Rosemary's son Peter died in 1989 following a brain tumour, she and her husband John worked tirelessly for the UK to have a national organ donor register after their son's sacrifice helped save the lives of 17 people.
For the next five years the couple criss-crossed the country campaigning for a register, finally getting their wish in 1994 when the NHS Organ Donor Register was created by the then Health Secretary Virginia Bottomley.
Today the number of people who have registered their organ donation decision reached over 26 million or 42 per cent of the UK population. And since the register was established over 27,000 people have donated their organs after their death with over 76,000 transplants being undertaken.
Rosemary is now 82. Her husband John died in 2007, but their son’s legacy lives on and she continues to campaign to promote the benefits of organ transplantation.
When the NHS marked the register’s 25th anniversary in 2019, it was revealed it had saved or transformed 20,000 lives. And over the last 12 months, NHS Blood and Transplant facilitated nearly 3,400 transplants.
The Pride of Britain Awards, to be broadcast on TV next week, will have a star-studded audience returning for the first time following the pandemic and be hosted by Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo.
Host Carol Vorderman said: “My favourite part of the Awards are the winners and how happy they are that they’re being celebrated. These incredible people make you want to be a better person.
"And even though everyone says how much it makes them cry, it is a celebration too of all the truly extraordinary things they have done.”
Co-host Ashley Banjo added: “I have so much respect and admiration for all of the winners and I can’t wait to meet them, see the look on their faces as they are surprised and celebrated and to experience this really special moment with them.”
As well as extraordinary stories of bravery, selflessness and phenomenal fundraising feats, there will also be plenty of jaw-dropping surprises, laughs and emotional moments in store – with huge stars from the worlds of film, television, music and sport, uniting to pay tribute to members of the public, young and old, whose achievements are truly inspirational.
More than 150 of our biggest stars will come together to celebrate the nation’s unsung heroes.
The biggest national awards event of its kind, this year’s unmissable Pride of Britain Awards will feature celebrities and public figures including HRH Prince Charles, Ant and Dec, Anne-Marie, Ed Sheeran, Pixie Lott, KSI, Harry Kane, Joanna Lumley OBE, Simon Cowell, Stephen Fry, Westlife, Holly Willoughby, Ne-Yo, Jordan Pickford, Dame Joan Collins, Sir Mo Farah and Hollywood icon Sharon Stone all honouring this year’s inspirational winners.
See Rosemary accept her award on ITV on Thursday, November 4 at 8pm.
