Visit coincides with call to raise organ donation awareness.
Worcester Wolves players stopped by Birmingham Children’s Hospital last Thursday to help lift spirits among the children, young people and families.
Four players including Elvisi Dusha, Brandon Parrish, Dallin Bachynski and Mike Ojo took time out of training for this weekend’s final to spend time on the Renal Unit signing autographs, posing for photographs and giving out gifts.
The British Basketball League, where Worcester Wolves are in the final against Cheshire Phoenix this Sunday, is working with Transplant Sport to raise awareness of organ donation and the Transplant Games.
This year, the Transplant Games are coming to Birmingham on 2nd–5th August, and the Birmingham Children’s Hospital team are returning to the games as reigning champions. 10-year-old Kristof Polgar, a gold medallist member of the Transplant Games team and former liver transplant patient at the Children’s Hospital, came back to help show the players around.
Sara Clarke, Transplant Games Team Manager for the hospital, said: “The games are so important to transplanted children. They act as a motivation for children to get fit after a transplant while also providing a unique environment where children and their families can meet and gain support from each other.
“This partnership offers an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits of organ donation, encouraging people to sign the organ donor register and have that all important donation conversation. We’d like to thank everyone at the club who helped make the visit happen and also the British Basketball League for their on-going support of the Transplant Games – we’re really grateful.”
For more information about Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, visit: bch.org.uk, email fundraising@bch.nhs.uk or call 0121 333 8506. For further information about the Transplant Games visit www.transplantsport.org.uk.
To sign the organ donor register www.organdonation.nhs.uk