Transplant patient walks from Liverpool to thank the QE

A liver transplant patient has walked around 90 miles from Liverpool to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham to say thank you to the donor and the NHS staff who saved his life.

Chris Howard, a storyteller and content creator from Liverpool, set out on Wednesday 23 September on a four-day walk he called 90 Miles of Thanks, with his arrival at the hospital planned for Saturday 26 September.

A long wait for a new liver

Chris has lived with autoimmune disease since childhood and was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare condition that slowly damages the bile ducts and the liver. He spent around 18 months on the transplant waiting list before receiving a new liver at the Queen Elizabeth in May 2024.

"Every mile is a thank you, to my donor and their family, to the incredible NHS staff who saved my life, and to everyone who has supported me on this journey," he said before setting off.

Raising money and awareness

The walk raised money for the NHS Blood and Transplant charity and was timed to coincide with Organ Donation Week, which encourages people to register their decision and, just as importantly, to talk about it with their families.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, run by University Hospitals Birmingham, is one of the largest liver transplant centres in Europe, and patients travel from across the country for treatment there.

Why family conversations matter

NHS Blood and Transplant says families support organ donation around nine times in ten when they know what their loved one wanted, but only around half the time when no decision has been recorded.

How to register

Anyone can record their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register online or through the NHS App. It takes about two minutes. People can also choose which organs and tissue they would like to donate, and add their faith or beliefs so that these are respected.