Bishop's wife to cycle Wales for organ donation awareness

Jo and Phil with the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, John Davies

The wife of the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon will be cycling across Wales next week to raise awareness of organ donation.

Jo Davies will be stopping at 11 hospitals during her sponsored 330-mile journey.

Davies, married to Bishop John Davies, lives in Brecon but works in Abergavenny as a specialist nurse in organ donation.

Her cycle coincides with National Transplant Week from 8 to 14 July and will highlight the NHS's FleshandBlood campaign to promote blood and organ donation, which is backed by the Church in Wales.

She will be riding from Aberystwyth to Cardiff together with colleague Phil Walton, a specialist nurse based in Carmarthen.

Departing from Bronglais Hospital early Monday, they will visit hospitals in Haverfordwest, Carmarthen, Llanelli, Swansea, Bridgend, Llantrisant, Merthyr Tydfil, Hereford and Newport. They aim to arrive at the University Hospital Wales in Cardiff on Friday.

Another colleague, Richard Pugh, will lead the final leg of the journey in North Wales on Saturday 13 July, doing 70 miles from Maelor Hospital, Wrexham to Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital, Bangor in one day.

Mrs Davies said, "I am a specialist nurse who works closely and extremely sensitively with families who are acutely bereaved or grieving, offering organ donation as a choice at the end of the lives of their loved one.

"With three people dying every day waiting for an organ transplant we are obviously aware of the need to encourage more people to join the organ donor register and make their wishes known to their families. This action alone makes the discussion with families somewhat easier for them.

"Neither Phil nor I were 'seasoned' cyclists before we embarked on this challenge but both of us have picked up the gauntlet and can be seen most weekends and days off cycling around mid and South Wales areas whilst in training.

"We've got pretty serious about it and luckily our families are remaining extremely tolerant of the little time we are spending with them whilst we try and get into shape."

Money raised by the cycle will go to the Donor Family Network. Donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/Phil-Walton2