A total of 185 people were left needing an organ transplant at the end of 2022 in Lancashire, as the NHS calls upon more people to sign up for donation.
However, 79 Lancastrians had their lives saved by deceased organ donors last year after 39 people across the county donated their organs.
As many as nine lives can be saved by just one person donating their organs after they die.
Graham Knott, 44, from Blackburn, received the Order of St John last year after donating his organs following a fatal brain haemorrhage in 2020.
His wife, Sam, said: “He’d had a brain haemorrhage and that was it. The hospital did tests and confirmed he was brain stem dead.
“I brought up organ donation as I knew he was a donor, I knew he’d signed up getting his driving licence and we’d talked about it.”
The heating engineer, who had five children from previous relationships with Sam, helped three people by donating his kidneys and liver, while his pancreas went to a research project.
Sam added: “He helped so many people in his passing and he carries on living on.”
Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “You could be a lifesaver, which is an amazing legacy to leave – organ donation saves lives.
“Families will always be consulted before organ donation goes ahead and are more likely to support your decision if they know it is what you wanted.
“Please add your name and decision to the NHS Organ Donor Register to help save more lives. It takes just two minutes to sign up to be a lifesaver, online or using the NHS App.”
Visit http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk to find out more information.
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