A dozen people whose lives have been touched by organ donation will walk the catwalk at Coventry Cathedral this weekend, in an event aimed at encouraging more South Asian donors to come forward.
Threads That Heal takes place on Saturday, 11 July, with the cathedral’s famous Baptistery Window serving as the backdrop to the show. It has been organised by the South Asian Heritage Trust, working alongside NHS Blood and Transplant and Coventry Cathedral, as part of South Asian Heritage Month.
Among those taking part is 31-year-old Shaista Dagia, who spent a decade on dialysis after an earlier kidney transplant failed. Her second transplant, seven years ago, was a success and transformed her life. She has since travelled widely, including a trip to the Great Wall of China, and now competes for Great Britain at the World Transplant Games.
Image: Shaista Dagia.Dagia said she wanted the event to help dispel some of the religious and cultural misconceptions that put people off registering as donors, arguing that donation can be life-changing.
Also taking part is 66-year-old Prafula Shah, who will step onto a catwalk for the first time. In March 2018 she donated a kidney to a stranger as part of a six-person chain arranged through the UK Kidney Sharing Scheme, meaning that in return her niece received a kidney from another donor in the chain. Shah said South Asian communities still make up the largest group waiting for transplants and typically face longer waits than white patients.
Image: Prafula ShahHer niece, who received the donated kidney, has since travelled to South Korea and is due to marry in September. Shah said the transplant had opened up an incredible new chapter in her niece’s life.
Every participant in the show has a personal connection to organ donation, from recipients and living donors to the relatives of donors, including one man who chose to donate his late wife’s organs and now campaigns for others to consider doing the same. All of the clothes on the runway will be styled in shades of pink, chosen to represent compassion, healing and hope.
Harvinder Poonian, from the South Asian Heritage Trust, said the idea for a fashion show emerged while the team were looking for an engaging way to open up conversations around a difficult subject, and she felt it offered a fitting way to share people’s stories.
South Asian communities are statistically more likely to need an organ transplant but remain underrepresented on the NHS Organ Donor Register, organisers say.
Threads That Heal takes place at Coventry Cathedral on 11 July, doors at 6pm.
Find out more at https://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/events/threads-that-heal
Those wishing to register their organ donation decision can do so at organdonation.nhs.uk.
