A SOUTH East Cornwall man who’s had two life-saving kidney transplants is campaigning to raise awareness of organ transplants at Westminster this week.

Andrew Demaine, 60, from St germans, is heading to Parliament with the charity Kidney Care UK to help raise awareness of transplantation during Organ Donation Week (September 4 to 10).

He’ll also meet South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray.

Andrew was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease when he was just 12 and has had two transplants; the first from his father in 1970 and his second from a deceased donor in 1974.

Andrew is passionate about kidney disease and transplantation, having retired as a Professor at Peninsula Medical School after researching diabetic kidney disease for 25 years.

He said: ‘There is not enough awareness of kidney disease and how life-changing a transplant can be, and I want to help change that.

‘I’m here today because of two transplants and can’t thank my donors enough.

‘You are far more likely to need a transplant than you are to need to donate your organs so please, if you haven’t signed the organ donor register yet, do it today.

‘Please, this Organ Donation Week, tell your family you want to save lives.’

Fiona Loud, policy director of Kidney Care UK, said: ‘Hundreds of transplants are missed every year because families simply didn’t know what their relative wanted. Many people don’t realise that if you want to be an organ donor, your family’s support is still needed for donation to go ahead, even if you are on the NHS Organ Donor Register.’

She said there are currently 10 people waiting for a transplant in South East Cornwall.

If you would like to sign the organ donor register or find out about living donation you can do so at: www.organdonation.nhs.uk