Remembering Nathan and Dan – Organ Donation Awareness Week

This week is Organ Donation Awareness Week, and we are remembering children like Nathan and Dan, whose families made the courageous decision to donate, even in the most heartbreaking of circumstances — and changed lives forever.

Sheffield Children’s are often reminded of the care we provided to Nathan and Dan, and the huge impact their donations had on many lives. This week we are highlighting their stories to show the importance of having conversations around organ donation and making the wishes of loved ones known.

A decision to donate organs could save up to nine lives. Since April 2025, 1,766 people in the UK have received a transplant from a deceased donor. Yet over the past ten years, more than 12,000 people in the UK have died or been removed from the transplant waiting list before receiving the lifesaving organs they desperately needed. The UK transplant waiting list has reached record levels with 8,000 people still waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

Despite the challenges, there has been promising progress: more than 44,000 lives have been saved or improved through deceased and living donor organ transplants in the past decade. But with thousands still waiting, NHS Blood and Transplant is urging people to take just two minutes today to confirm their decision to be an organ donor: www.organdonation.nhs.uk

Louise Higgs, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation at Sheffield Children’s, said:

“As a team of specialist nurses in organ donation we know that no one expects to ever need to have the conversation about organ donation.

“I really encourage everyone to have the conversation with their loved ones, at any age, so they are left certain if they ever need to make the decision for them. The difference Nathan and Dan’s organ donation has made on families has been incredible — we will never be able to thank them and their families enough.”

Nathan’s story

Fifteen-year-old Nathan, described as kind, thoughtful, and always ready to help, died suddenly from a brain bleed caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) — a tangle of blood vessels where arteries and veins connect in an abnormal way.

When it became clear he wouldn’t survive, his parents, Donna and Neil, decided to donate his organs. Nathan’s donation helped six people receive the gift of life. His family say they are proud that Nathan continues to bring hope and healing to others.

Donna said:

“Nathan would always help people no matter what, so it felt right to donate everything we could.”

Read Nathan’s full story

Dan’s story

Dan, also 15, was full of energy, humour, adventure and kindness. He died at Sheffield Children’s after being knocked down in a road traffic accident and suffering brain damage he was unable to recover from.

Dan and his mum, Debbie, had spoken about organ donation before. Dan had said:

“If I’m dead I’m not going to need it, someone else can use it!”

Through his donation, Dan helped four families — including giving his heart to a child under 10.

Debbie describes Dan’s donation as:

“a silver thread to grab hold of at a time when everything was falling down around me.”

Read Dan’s full story

Why it matters

Nathan and Dan’s legacies remind us that one conversation can lead to many lives being saved.

NHS Blood and Transplant are urging everyone to confirm their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register to help save lives.

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said:

“Someone will die today waiting for an organ transplant. You are more likely to need a transplant than you ever are to be a donor — and most of us would accept an organ if we needed one – but far fewer of us have made the decision to donate. By confirming your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, you could save or transform up to nine lives.”

Visit the Organ Donation website to register your decision: www.organdonation.nhs.uk