Transplant Patients
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is the most active transplant centre in Europe with world-leading surgeons and cutting-edge equipment, but we want to take that further.
Birmingham carries out all the major organ transplants - heart, lung, liver and kidney. Queen Elizabeth Hospital Charity is raising £4M to develop a new Transplant Centre for patients going through life-saving treatment at the QE.
It will be known as the ‘Edmonds Transplant Centre Birmingham’, which will become a national centre of excellence for organ transplantation. It will further cement Birmingham’s reputation as a leader in transplantation.
Meet Tia...
An incredible transplant patient from Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Tia's story is one of courage, resilience and hope.
After many years living a strong and healthy lifestyle, in 2021, Tia's life was turned upside down when she suffered multiple cardiac arrests and was placed on the urgent heart transplant list.
After spending over 5 months on a ward, apart from her family, including her 6-month-old son, Tia finally heard the news she'd been dreaming of - a viable heart had been found. Thanks to the exceptional care she received at the QE, Tia is now back with her family and more determined than ever to make the most of the gift given to her by her donor.
This Organ Donation Awareness Week (23-29 September) is also the 30th anniversary of the NHS Organ Donor Register. Current estimates are that 45% of people in the UK are signed up to the register. In the 30 years since it began, almost 60,000 lives have been saved through organ transplants in the UK. Despite this fantastic figure, over 7,500 people are waiting for transplants in the UK.
Today, we're asking for your help. By donating to the QE Transplant Appeal, you can ensure that more patients like Tia from across the country receive the support they need before, during and after their life-saving treatment. The new Edmonds Transplant Centre Birmingham will bring all the specialist care to patients in one place, including pre-transplant consultations, additional fitness classes before surgery, patient support groups, and rehabilitation classes after surgery.
We are so close to our £4 million target and would love for you to help us build this lifeline for our transplant patients and their families.
Please make a donation today. Every penny makes a big difference. Thank you.
If you need support in having the conversation with your family about organ donation, you can visit: organdonation.nhs.uk
Showing your support
It is incredibly important to support our patients on this life-changing journey and make this transition as easy as possible for them and their families. The ability to enhance patient experience at the Edmonds Transplant Centre Birmingham will enable patients to focus on themselves and ensure they are in the best position possible to make the surgery a success and then focus on their recovery.
The Centre will allow patients to visit just one area of the hospital, bringing all the specialist care to them, including pre-transplant consultations, additional fitness classes before surgery - this has been proven to increase the likelihood of a successful transplant, patient support groups, and rehabilitation classes after surgery. It will also be home to world leading surgeons and researchers who are at the forefront of research and technology extending the success of transplantation.
We couldn't create the Edmonds Transplant Centre if it wasn't for the generous donations of our wonderful supporters. You can help us today making a Donation.
Birmingham Adult Transplant Sport Team
The Birmingham Adult Transplant Sport Team is made up of recipients of solid organ, stem cell or bone marrow transplants. Members range in age from 18 to over 80, all of whom have used sport to help their recovery after their transplants. Some of the members have even donated organs themselves.
After transplant, everyone has different aspirations. For many in the team, years of illness had severely restricted their lifestyle. Getting back to being active is not only an essential part of the recovery process, but also a way of the transplant recipient demonstrating to themselves how far they have come.
Each year, the team participated in the British Transplant Games. For many, being at the games is a victory in itself. There are a whole range of events to participate in, with different levels of intensity of activity. Whilst participants are encouraged to compete with one another, the games are a perfect opportunity to enjoy being with friends, have fun and enjoy life.
The Birmingham Adult Transplant Sport Team has had a lot of success over the years, with some members even going on to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland in the World and European Transplant Games.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients Association
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients Association is a registered charity and was started in 1981 to support the Renal patients treated at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
They support all kidney patients treated by the QE hospital and their families from purchasing equipment that will help improve the patients’ experience to patient outings and holidays, parties & celebrations.
The Q.E.H.K.P.A. has supported renal patients and the Hospital for 40 years. Through people’s generosity and fundraising efforts, they have supported a variety of projects which have benefitted patients. These are some of the most recent:
- £60,000 for the new Birmingham Transplant Centre at the Q.E. Hospital.
- Away weekends for young people to help with their move from the Children’s Hospital to the Q.E. Hospital.
- Decorating the Patient Day Rooms on Wards 303 and 305 to make them a more friendly and relaxing area for patients and their visitors.
- Supported day trips for patients and holidays.
- Newsletters and web site for patients’ information.
- Provided tables and chairs on ward 303 so that patients can sit in their area to eat together or sit with other patients if they wish.
You can access renal patient information via their website: www. Kidneymatters.co.uk or sign up to their newsletter, Kidneymatters, several times a year, which is sent to all renal patients via DrDoctor. Ask at your next clinic or dialysis session to register for this service.
If anyone would like to help the team, please contact them via email qehkpa@gmail.com or phone Nick Flint Chairman of the K.P.A. on 07720597468.
Edmonds Transplant Centre Birmingham
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity has launched a brand-new £4 million fundraising appeal to create the Birmingham Transplant Centre.
Work has begun on the new ‘Edmonds Transplant Centre Birmingham’, which will become a national centre of excellence for organ transplantation in Birmingham, and will be funded by QEHB Charity. It will put patient care at the forefront of transplantation and will create a “one stop shop” for patients undergoing organ transplants.
The Ann Fox Foundation
The Ann Fox Foundation supports liver transplant patients and their families, in memory of Ann Fox, a liver transplant recipient from the Isle of Man.
Thanks to the donations raised by The Ann Fox Foundation, in 2019 the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was able to purchase an Organox machine which can increase the numbers of livers suitable for transplants by keeping blood and oxygen pumping through them even after donation.
Heart In A Box
Thanks to the amazing support of hundreds of fundraisers, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, with the support of Heart Research UK, funded the incredible Heart in a Box machine to save patients' lives at the QE.
Heart in a Box keeps a donated heart beating, outside of the body, which helps to keep the heart in a better condition for longer, increasing the length of time that surgeons have to perform the transplant. Doctors estimate that this can help to increase the number of heart transplants taking place at the hospital by up to 50%.
Kidney Research - Win Sabapathy Foundation
Funding world class research into kidney disease, kidney transplants and longevity, working with doctors, nurses and researchers at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham;
The Win Sabapathy Foundation for Kidney Research was set up in memory of Win Sabapathy to raise money and awareness for kidney research.