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Reporter's dying wish takes step forward

A campaign to get compulsory blood, bone marrow and organ donation classes into 6th form colleges started by a dying journalist has finally seen tangible progress.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner reporter Adrian Sudbury, who died in August after battling leukaemia for nearly two years, dedicated his final months lobbying MPs to introduce the classes.

An e-petition was set up on the Downing Street website which received 11,260 signatures and yesterday the Government posted its official response.

It said: “The Government has written to every secondary school, sixth form and further education college in England to stress the importance of this issue and to urge them to consider using a valuable, free resource developed by NHS Blood and Transplant.

“The educational pack and website, called Give and Let Live, is aimed primarily at 14 to 16-year-olds but can be adapted for younger or older students.

“It has a teachers’ booklet containing lesson plans, case studies and background information about the need for more donors.

“The interactive website features games, quizzes, factsheets and short films that engage and stimulate debate at giveandletlive.co.uk.

“Last year the first edition of the pack was requested by over 1,800 schools in the UK.”

Adrian, 27, captured the hearts of people across the UK and the world when he started chronicling his battle with two different forms leukaemia on his Baldy’s Blog.

It won him international awards and continues to be updated by friends and family.

All the entries on his blog have since been turned into a book which has now gone on sale.

For more information and to buy a copy visit merseyshop.com

  • The Government’s full response to the petition can be read on the Downing Street website.