A mum who lost her son after a car crash will be among those taking part in a trek to the summit of Snaefell in memory of organ donors.
Daniel Boyde was just 15 when he lost his life days after sustaining head injuries in the incident near Ramsey back in 2007.
His parents later agreed to donate Daniel’s organs, a decision which ultimately ‘saved the lives’ of four people. Daniel’s mum Diane Taylor went on to set up Organ Donation Isle of Man - a campaign and support group - in memory of the teen.
She will be among the members of the group who will be taking part in a special trek to the top of Snaefell in memory of all organ donors.
‘Turn the peaks pink’ is a UK-wide event and takes place on September 27 during organ transplant week.
The island arm of the event is being organised by the Organ Donation Committee based at Nobles Hospital in conjunction with ‘NHS Blood and Transplant’.
The committee is made up of senior medical staff, which includes heart transplant recipient Nicola Leslie, as well as Diane.
Diane said: ‘Daniel’s dad and I agreed to donate his organs, a precious gift which saved the lives of four people.
‘He was a very happy, cheeky and lovable son who went out of his way to help others, so agreeing to donate his organs was an easy decision.
‘I set up Organ Donation Isle of Man in Daniel’s memory and to share island donor and transplant story’s.
‘It is also to encourage everyone to make their own organ donation choices, and share with their nearest and dearest so they can honor a loved one’s final wishes.’
New legislation called the ‘Human Tissue and Organ Donation Act 2021’ - otherwise known as ‘Daniel’s Law’ - received Royal Assent in 2021.
Although it has not yet been put into practice, the legislation will change the process for organ donation consent from the ‘opt-in’ system currently in place to an opt out system.
Under the system, everyone on the island would be automatically presumed to be an organ donor upon their death unless they removed consent ahead of time.
During a House of Keys sitting in January, Cabinet Office Minister Kate-Lord Brennan said: ‘It was recognised during the passage of the bill that extensive preparatory work, expert advice and importantly a robust regulatory mechanism would need to be developed before the human Tissue and Organ Donation Act 2021 could be implemented.
‘There is a commitment to progress this work, and some of it is already underway. There’s also been budgetary commitment from the Cabinet Office to support next step work.’
Participants taking part in the walk will be aiming to reach the summit of Snaefell by 2pm, with the climb estimated to take roughly one hour.
The Snaefell tram will also leave the Bungalow on the Mountain Road at 1:10pm for anyone keen to meet the group at the summit but unable to complete the walk.
Other peaks being climbed in the UK include Y Wyddfa (Snowdon) in north Wales, Scafell Pike in the Lake District, Ben Nevis in Scotland, Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland and Pen-y-Fan in south Wales.
To register for the walk, visit www.organdonationiom.com.