Hi all, it's Mandy here with my first blog, a very overdue update on LLTGL's presence at the British Transplant Society (BTS) Annual Congress which washeld in Kensington, London from February 17 - 19th.
This annual event was the 13th since the society was formed in 1972 for all professionals working in the transplant field from nurses to scientists to surgeons and ethicists, the Congress also draws interest from patients and charities as well (www.bts.org.uk). Over the three days of the conference there were approximately 700 people in attendance and this was a great opportunity for us to show case a couple of our activities, and gain more awareness of LLTGL within the transplant community.
The Congress itself had a packed schedule of lectures and workshops with experts from every aspect of transplantation talking about the latest techniques, research and results.
We chose to highlight three aspects of our work:
This annual event was the 13th since the society was formed in 1972 for all professionals working in the transplant field from nurses to scientists to surgeons and ethicists, the Congress also draws interest from patients and charities as well (www.bts.org.uk). Over the three days of the conference there were approximately 700 people in attendance and this was a great opportunity for us to show case a couple of our activities, and gain more awareness of LLTGL within the transplant community.
The Congress itself had a packed schedule of lectures and workshops with experts from every aspect of transplantation talking about the latest techniques, research and results.
We chose to highlight three aspects of our work:
- Robyn's Rainbows (don't forget that you can donate a Rainbow to someone on www.justgiving.com/robynsrainbows, or nominate someone to receive on by emailing http://www.blogger.com/rainbow@lltgl.org.uk with details of who you are, who they are (and where they are) and why you think they deserve a rainbow.
- Our Speakers Program - we piloted this in February and is our initiative, using a tried and tested method of training people with direct experience of transplant (donor/recipient or family/close friend of either) to talk about their experience of organ donation because that is the most powerful way of getting our message across. We will formally launch this shortly, but in the mean time please feel free to email http://www.blogger.com/speakers@lltgl.org.uk if you are interested in this.
- Our co-operation with the Donor Family Network, by sharing the pamphlet of quotes from donor families which we co-funded.
We found that people were very interested and many had heard of us and even Robyn's Rainbows - though Chris Rudge's (Transplant Tsar) inclusion of LLTGL in his opening presentation, certainly helped! It was also a great way of meeting some of the many people who have been great supporters of ours from the DoH and NHSBT as well as making new contacts.
I must thank Tessa Hund who ably ran the stall for the Congress and two fantastic new volunteers for us, Sarah Illic who spent two days on the stall - Sarah received a kidney from a friend late last year after some 6 years on dialysis, and Lynne Wilson who was on our first Speakers Training Course, whose mother was an Organ Donor after her sudden and untimely death some years ago.
I would also like to thank Mr Vassilios Papalois (Transplant Surgeon) and Prof Anthony Warrens both of The West London Renal & Transplant Centre /
Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust who co-chaired the Congress and facilitated our stand.
Mandy
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