NHS launch “Heart-to-Heart” campaign to get more black families talking about blood and organ donation

FAMILY: Tropical Sun is a leading importer of specialist ingredients and daily essentials for African Caribbean families (Image via Getty Images)

PEOPLE ACROSS the country are being encouraged to have a ‘heart to heart’ as part of a new campaign to get people from black communities talking about blood and organ donation.

The ‘Heart-to-Heart’ campaign launched this week by NHS Blood and Transplant and popular food brand, Tropical Sun – a leading importer of specialist ingredients and daily essentials for African Caribbean families.

The campaign aims to spark “heart to heart” conversation about blood and organ donation among households through featuring call to actions by the NHS on Tropical Sun products and “powerful real-life stories” of people whose lives have been directly impacted by blood and organ donation. 

Geraldine Parker Smith, National BAME Marketing Manager at NHS Blood and Transplant says: “Tropical Sun have given the NHS a fantastic opportunity to reach out directly to people who may not have had a reason to think or speak about blood or organ donation before.

“More and more black people are saving lives by donating blood but there remains an urgent need for donors from black backgrounds as they are ten times more likely to have the blood types needed by black patients in need.

“Ethnically matched blood gives the best chance for long-term health, particularly with sickle cell disease, which is more common in black people and requires regular complete blood transfusions to reduce the risk of strokes.”

Tropical Sun has also recruited some of the UK’s leading celebrities to donate blood and record personal reflections on organ donation.

Gold-medal winning athlete Dame Kelly Holmes MBE, actress Nina Wadia OBE and actor Ricky Whittle have also contributed to the initiative.

 Wadia knows personally the importance of having a conversation about organ donation as her mum lived with kidney failure and daily dialysis until a suitable donor was found.

While her mum sadly died a few years later, Nina is grateful for the extra time the transplant gave to the family.

She said: “Even as an actress, I know how difficult it can be to find the right words when you are trying to discuss a serious topic, such as organ or blood donation. So, I am glad that the NHS continues to try and find ways to make the conversation easier.

“For many families, cooking and eating are the times when we can all come together to discuss both the little and big life matters. Having the conversation can actually be much easier and quicker than you expect. And yet the difference that quick chat can make, for people like my mum, and so many others, who are living in need of a transplant or regular blood transfusions is indescribable.”

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