More than half of children at primary and secondary school support organ donation after being inspired by Max and Keira’s Law.
The teaching programme Votes for Schools used Mirror stories about Max Johnson, 12, being saved by heart donor Keira Ball, nine, to explain the new opt-out scheme.
More than 21,000 primary, secondary and college students learned about the law – introduced in May after our four-year campaign.
After being taught how it worked, and learning about Max and Keira, they were asked: “Is the opt-out system the best way to increase organ donations?” Colleges were evenly split, at 50.42% support.
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But secondary schools gave it 55.34% support. And that rose to 57% in primary years 4 to 6, who were asked: “Would you donate your organs?”
The results also showed girls more likely to back it.
Asked to share their views, one secondary school student in the West Midlands said: “When the system was opt-in people weren’t aware of the process and so couldn’t donate organs.
“Now people who really don’t want to can opt out.”
Another said: “The opt-out makes it clear if you do not want your organs donated. So more people are able to help others in the future.”
Votes for Schools founder Kate Harris said the idea was so children of all ages could make informed decisions.
She explained: “We used Max and Keira’s Law as a case study. To look at stories about other children, that’s something they can really relate to.”
The law is named in honour of Max, of Winsford, Cheshire, and his heart donor Keira, who lost her life in a car accident near her home in Barnstaple, Devon, in 2017.
In May, Max pleaded for more organ donors to help save the lives of children as experts revealed the coronavirus crisis has led to a slump in transplants.
Max said: “I would say to people today… don’t waste your organs when you die.
“If you can save lives when you die, why wouldn’t you?”
Earlier this month, the Mirror reported how record numbers of black, Asian and ethnic minorities (BAME) patients have received life-saving organ transplants.
Last year BAME people had 1,187 such operations. And a huge publicity drive to raise awareness of the Mirror-backed Max and Keira’s Law played a crucial role.
