AN ORGAN donor from Stratford has been honoured posthumously.
Adrian Collins was a recipient of the Order of St John Award for Organ Donation at an awards ceremony in Birmingham.
His sister Sarah Jones collected the award on his behalf.
The awards, for those who have helped save lives through the gift of organ donation, have been run in conjunction with NHS Blood and Transport for a decade.
Adrian passed away unexpectedly in September 2022, aged 44, after suffering from a seizure and then a stroke caused by a blockage in a stent that had been placed to treat an aneurysm.
Sarah said: “Adrian was a kind, loving, thoughtful, caring and funny person – he was my little brother and uncle to my daughters who he just adored. He was just a really lovely person who would do anything for anyone. When we were asked about organ donation I knew he would have wanted to help people and would have been proud to help others.
“It was so sad and when we were asked about organ donation I remembered him saying years earlier that he thought organ donation was a good thing to do and that his organs would be of no use to him. The staff took care of him and we played the Liverpool anthem
‘You will never walk alone’ while we said goodbye to him.
“Adrian donated both of his kidneys, his liver and his pancreas. Adrian’s kidneys both went to people who had been waiting some time on the transplant waiting list and his liver and pancreas both went into research programmes.”
Sarah continued: “Receiving the award on behalf of Adrian was really nice and it was lovely he was honoured in this way. As a family we are so proud of Adrian, we have his badge and certificate on display and the whole family have now all joined the organ donor register too. Adrian was such a giving person, and it was so hard to say goodbye to him but I was glad that he was able to go on and help people.”
Mick Messinger, chancellor of the Priory of England and the Islands of the Order of St John, added: “It is a pleasure and privilege to work with NHS Blood and Transplant again on a tenth year of ceremonies to mark the wonderful gifts of life given by people who chose to donate organs and their families who supported them in this decision. These events are always very emotional and I pay tribute to all the families that attend and, most of all, to their loved ones who have selflessly helped others to live after their own passing.”
For more information about organ donation visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.
