The Public Health Agency has brought powerful photographic exhibition ‘The Call’ to The Alley Theatre, Strabane.
Poignant and thought-provoking images of children waiting for one phone call which will change their lives has opened for public viewing in Strabane.
Award-winning photographer Debbie Todd captured the images of the children in an exhibition created by Red Sky Foundation, a charity which raises vital funds for babies, children and adults, who are born with or develop heart conditions and who are in need of cardiac care, by providing lifelong support to them and their families.
As part of its work in raising awareness of organ donation, the Public Health Agency first brought the Sunderland-based exhibition to Northern Ireland in June this year, which also enabled young organ donation campaigner Dáithí Mac Gabhann to be featured with the other children.
The powerful images depict that while some of the children sit patiently waiting for the phone call that will save their lives, others have already had their prayers answered with a call offering a life-saving donor organ. They all have one thing in common, the hope for a bright future following a successful transplant.
As of 4 December, across the UK there are around 7,900 people in need of a transplant and awaiting the gift of life through organ donation. 280 of these are children – waiting for ‘The Call’. There were just 39 paediatric donations in the last year in the UK (1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024), and only 252 paediatric transplants received by UK / NI patients. The overall consent rate for paediatric donation was 38%. Six children were known to have registered their wish to donate on the Organ Donor Register (ODR), with four of these children being younger than 16 years old. Consent was ascertained for all donors registered on the ODR, no families overruled their loved one's known wish to be an organ donor.
The acute need for organs for donation in children is demonstrated most clearly by those requiring an urgent heart transplant – their waiting period is 2.5 times longer than adults on average.
As well as highlighting the urgent need for paediatric organ donation, the aim of the exhibition is for the photographs to encourage the many people who see them to consider joining the NHS Organ Donor Register as a whole family, regardless of age. An organ transplant can be the last option for many patients, and can be the only lifesaving gift that people on the waiting list can receive.
Aidan Dawson, Chief Executive of the Public Health Agency, congratulated all involved with the artwork saying:
“The Call” will give hope to many families on the waiting list for an organ transplant. The conversations generated by this exhibition will help to open up the sensitive topic of paediatric organ donation, and aims to encourage families to consider registering decisions for the whole family.”
You can register an organ donation decision for everyone in your family at www.organdonationni.info. Whatever you decide, remember discuss it with loved ones.
The exhibition will stay in place for public viewing for the month of December in The Alley Theatre, Strabane. It is open Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm and is free entry. The final day for viewing is Friday 10 January 2025.