A multi-award-winning regional daily reporter has been highly commended for her work in the field of medical journalism.
Aasma Day, of the Lancashire Post, received the commendation at the Medical Journalists’ Association Awards, which were held in London on Thursday.
Aasma came runner-up in the Case Study of the Year category for a series of in-depth features she wrote for an organ donation campaign.
The award was claimed by the Daily Mail’s Caroline Scott, whose winning story was also on the subject of organ donation.
Aasma was also nominated in the Regional Reporter of the Year category along with Pamela McGowan, of the Carlisle News & Star, but the pair lost out to Jonathan Gibson, who works for the BBC West Midlands Inside Out programme.
Said Aasma: “After seeing the high calibre of work shortlisted in the MJA Awards, I feel thrilled to have been Highly Commended in the Case Study of the Year category.
“It was gratifying to see the winner of this category was also about organ donation and Caroline Scott’s interview in the Daily Mail with the mother of a 22-year-old who died in a hockey accident and whose organs went on to help 50 people was very poignant and a worthy winner.
“It was particularly emotional to see the young man’s mother take to stage with Caroline to accept the award.”
Earlier this month Aasma was highly commended at the Royal Statistical Society’s Statistical Excellence in Journalism Awards along with fellow members of the JP investigations unit, and won two further highly-commendeds at this year’s Regional Press Awards.
She also shared the Journalist of the Year (Daily) title with Dean Kirby, the i’s northern correspondent, at April’s Johnston Press Awards.
Aasma added: “Organ donation is something I feel very strongly about as one of my sisters needed an emergency liver transplant when she was younger which saved her life and she made a remarkable recovery following the surgery.
“It was wonderful to meet so many talented and friendly people at the awards and fascinating to hear about the amazing work going on in the world of health and medical journalism. Congratulations to all the winners.”