Hollywood superstar Sir Patrick Stewart has urged Yorkshire folk to be heroes... by signing the organ donation register.

And the Mirfield-born actor has even produced a video to get his message across as one person willing to be a donor could save up to nine other lives.

Around 800 people in Yorkshire are still waiting for an organ to save their lives.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – which cares for patients from Huddersfield needing an organ donation – hopes the ‘Be a Hero’ campaign will raise awareness of the need for donors and inspire more people to take two minutes to sign the donor register.

Sir Patrick Stewart is urging people to become organ donors
Sir Patrick Stewart is urging people to become organ donors

Sir Patrick said: “I am delighted to be backing this crucial campaign. Anyone can find themselves in a position where they need an organ so I would encourage everyone in Yorkshire to take two minutes out of their day, sign the organ donor register and Be a Hero.

“It’s remarkable that one person has the potential to save nine lives. Once you’ve signed up it’s really important that you share your wishes with your loved ones so they know you’re on the register.”

Read more: Plea for help as number of West Yorkshire organ donors falls

Following the successful launch of Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust’s (LTHT) Yorkshire wide ‘Be A Hero’ campaign in July, almost 13,000 people have signed the donor register in Yorkshire during the first six weeks of the campaign.

The Leeds Transplant Centre at LTHT has been providing complex specialist organ transplantation services for the Yorkshire and Humber region for more than 25 years. It is the third largest liver transplant unit in the UK, a leading centre for ‘live related’ transplants and a regional centre for renal transplants.

Find out more about organ donation and join the NHS Organ Donor Register at www.leedsth.nhs.uk/be-a-hero or by calling 0300 123 23 23.