Organ Donation Week 2026 - The legacy organ donors create
Jennie Dowd sustained a fatal head injury when she was knocked off her bicycle by a car in 2020. At the time, Jennie became the first patient to use our Organ Donation Passport, which is a document friends and relatives complete so clinicians looking after an organ donor can know more about the person. Her mum Karen, a registered nurse in a nearby hospital, continues her daughter's legacy by speaking to critical care staff across the region to share her experience of organ donation. Here she describes in her own words her daughter, and the work she continues in her name:
Jen was full of life, led life to the full, and was extremely passionate about organ donation. In her life she registered to the donor register four times, so when the time came we knew her wishes.
It warms our hearts as a family to witness the wonderful legacy she has left behind.
We know that after she passed away, five people benefitted from her organ donation. Five people are fit and leading healthy lives as a result of Jennie's generous gift of life. I can't put into words what this means.
We also have an annual Award named after Jennie, as part of the Masters in NHS Leadership she completed. It's aptly named the 'Be More Jen' Award, a phrase that Jennie's friends say inspires them to this day. Recipients of the award show:
- kindness and compassion,
- being themselves and following their dreams, and
- speak up for those who have no voice.
These are all qualities that Jennie so naturally possessed.
It is now my privilege to attend the annual graduation ceremony to present this award to the student who most emulates Jennie's qualities. A very proud Mum moment!
As a Registered Nurse, I found myself in the rare position of looking at the organ donation process through the eyes of both Mum and Nurse. With the help and fabulous support of Catherine Ellis, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation at The Walton Centre, I now regularly share Jennie's story and the family's experience of Organ Donation to ITU, theatre and A&E staff at study days across the region. I find it an absolute honour to present our story to both nursing and medical colleagues alike.
And I'm not stopping there. I have been asked to speak at Nurse Induction Days and to share our story on a Podcast with three doctors, all of which are passionate about all things Organ Donation.
I'm often asked how am I able to do what I do - the answer is quite simple. It is out of my love for Jennie and it keeps her memory alive. I find it therapeutic and a meaningful way to share her wonderful legacy.
Karen Sutton, Jennie's Mum ❤️
Confirm your choice to be an organ donor here.
(For more information on Karen work, contact Cath from the Organ Donation Team on catherine.ellis@nhsbt.nhs.uk)
