Friday 11 January 2019 Students and staff at The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) are showing their support for the Be A Hero campaign led by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) in memory of a much loved pupil. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the tragic loss of 12-year-old Hoshi Naylor, who heroically donated five organs to four people in need of a transplant. Hoshi had shown her support for organ donation from a young age and had made her wishes known to her parents. By spelling out the words Be A Hero on the school’s cricket pitch, around 1,500 students and staff created some stunning aerial images to support the campaign. Be A Hero has been driving awareness about organ donation in Yorkshire since 2015 and is now promoting the ‘Organ Donation Conversation’, as ultimately, it is next of kin who consent to donation whether somebody has signed the register or not. GSAL is working closely with clinicians and specialists at LTHT who lead the Be A Hero campaign to implement educational sessions on organ donation. The sessions will help students to understand the issue and get answers to any questions they may have. Hoshi’s mother, Emma Settle, said: “Our advice to everyone is to have a talk with your family when your children are young, as having that difficult conversation while you have the chance can help to do a lot of good. Our daughter has potentially saved or improved four lives, but there is a much bigger picture, which Hoshi helped us to see.” Helen Stansfield, GSAL’s Senior Deputy Head, Pastoral, said: “The sudden loss of Hoshi was an awful shock to the community. Knowing that she went on to make a huge difference to so many people’s lives is uplifting, and she leaves behind a lasting legacy. “We are hoping that the school will lead the way on education in organ donation and we will be working closely with the Be A Hero campaign.” Over the past year in Leeds alone, 39 people donated 120 organs after death, compared to 28 people donating 92 organs in 2016/17. In 2017/18, 108 patients received a life changing transplant, an increase from 81 in 2016/17. Organ donations and transplants also increased throughout Yorkshire and the Humber. Visit JustGiving to donate to the Be A Hero campaign. To sign up to the donor register call 0300 123 23 23. General Senior School News Whole School Community
