Reflection...

I have been asked to write about my time working on the Battlefront Project, easier said than done. I have done so many great things, met so many amazing people and feel like I have achieved a lot. It has been the best experience of my life there have been tears and laughter and I have learnt lots about Organ Donation as well as myself!

The skills I have learnt...

• Confidence
• Better Communication
• Management and Organisation skills
• Giving speeches and presenting
• How to write a press release/diary note/photocall notice
• To liase with the Media and do interviews

The Highlights of the campaign so far...

• Winning the competition
• Meeting my mentors Oli Barrett and Amy Maclaren (inspirational people)
• Going up and down to London and spending time with Emily T
• Having the support of Holly's Helpers
• Meeting Jess Wales
• Interviewing the surgeon who performed my transplant
• Writing to Gordon Brown and receiving a letter from his secretary in reply
• Meeting my fellow Battlefront campaigners
• Speaking in front of Rt Hon Ed Balls
• Having the support of Celebrities - Alexandra Burke, Nina Wadia and Connie Fisher
• Working with the design company Dave - who came up with 2 minute hero's (Be a hero, Put the Kettle on!)
• Having a successful photo call with support from Holly's Helpers, Melissa Bell and Fay Ripley
• Putting on my Donor Day and getting thousands of sign-ups to the NHS Organ Donor Register
• The metro changing their masthead in support of Donor Day
• Being on GMTV
• Doing various radio interviews and appearing in various newspapers
• Getting words of support from Gordon Brown on the number 10 website, here: http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18965
• The Prime Minister asking to meet me!
• My Campaign being the second most re-tweeted tweet in the world on April 7th!

When I write it like that I don't know how I managed to fit it all in, not forgetting clinic appointments, university lectures as well as the assignments including the dissertation!

So what next I hear you say?

• A little break to finish my dissertation and my final assignment
• My first birthday celebration post-transplant (there may be a few alcoholic bevarages being consumed!)
• A front cover and interview with voluntary magazine - Engage
• Hopefully an article in the next Kidney Life magazine
• An interview for the McCormick prize at university
  
• Hopefully continuing my work with Oli Barrett and Amy Maclaren
• Continue working with Emily and Holly's Helpers
  
• Hopefully Recruiting more Holly's Helpers
  
• Keep spreading the word about Organ Donation
• Utilising Social Networking sites
• Keeping my website up to date with all the latest developments! (www.thegiftoflife.org.uk)
  
• Maybe getting a viral game/video out in the world wide web to promote Organ Donation among young people
• Collecting lots of experiences of Organ Donation - a particular area I want to explore is a Donor Family perspective
• Planning the next big event/stunt that will hopefully be as successful as Donor Day

Not forgetting that all this would not have been possible pre-transplant, it is thanks to my amazing donor and their family that I am able to do this, hopefully I will make them proud.

I am also doing it for the people that have sadly lost their fight because their wait was too long and to give hope to the 8000 people that are currently on the waiting list for a transplant.

Click on the link below to see montage of my Battlefront journey and why I am going to keep campaigning, I think it says it all....



My Battlefront Journey!