A total of 249 people in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire are waiting for a new heart, liver, lung, kidney and pancreas to give them a second chance of life.

But one in three people on the waiting list are likely to lose their lives before getting a transplant due to the desperate shortage of donor organs.

The Star launched our Gift of Life campaign six weeks ago to help tackle the situation - and since then more than 8,000 readers have joined the register as we aim to find 25,000 potential donors by August.

In a normal six-week period, health chiefs would expect a few hundred people to sign up.

But figures released from the register show 8,034 people in the South Yorkshire region have joined between the start of January and beginning of March.

Consultant Andrew Raftery, who carries out kidney transplants at the Northern General Hospital, said: "It is a spectacular result! It is outstanding that so many people have signed up in such a short space of time. I thank them all on behalf of patients receiving of organ transplants." The campaign aims to hit the 25,000 target by August when the 31st Westfield Health British Transplant Games take place in Sheffield.

The Games, which run from August 7 to 11, bring together people from across the UK who've benefited from a donor organ to demonstrate the success of the programme, encourage a healthy lifestyle and encourage more people to sign up as potential donors.

Mr Raftery, who is also chair of the organising committee for the Games, urged readers who have not yet signed up to donate organs after their deaths to support the campaign.

"We would like to have 100,000 people on the register by the time of the Games," said Mr Raftery

"I'd like to say thank you to The Star, we couldn't do this without you!"

Alan Powell, Editor of The Star, said:"This is great news but it's not surprising. We always knew that our readers would take this kind of appeal to heart."South Yorkshire folk are the salt of the earth and generous to the core. I can't thank enough those who've signed up."

Patients such as Jean Earp, aged 59, from Aughton, who needs a new kidney, and Helen Miller, 38, from South Anston, who is waiting for a new lung, have backed the appeal by telling their stories and are inspiring others to join the register.

Westfield chairman Graham Moore said: "This is a fantastic start for the campaign. Sheffield has always been a city with a big heart and the people of Sheffield have always had deep pockets."

Click here to help the campaign and sign up

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