‘JUST tick the box’ is the message from a North-East man awaiting a double organ transplant.

Michael Bainbridge is urging people to join the organ donor register and give those like him a second chance at a normal life.

Mr Bainbridge, 31, was diagnosed with kidney failure around three years ago and has been on the waiting list for kidney and pancreas donations for 14 months – a wait due in part to a shortage in donors.

His illness has had a major impact on his life – regular dialysis treatment and the symptoms of kidney failure mean he is constantly fatigued, has been treated for heart problems and struggles to keep up with the demands of his full-time job at EE and day-to-day activities.

While his employers at EE and his family are supportive, Mr Bainbridge has suffered low moods and has been forced to give up hobbies such as long distance cycling and travelling while he waits for the phone call that could change his life.

The Darlington man is now calling for more people to sign up to the register and tell their relatives that they’ve done so.

He said: “It breaks my heart that more people aren’t on the list – it’s so simple to be on the organ donor register and there are no age limits.

“It’s as simple as ticking a box. When you’re applying for a driving licence or a passport, you can tick a small box or you can spend five minutes filling a form out and it’s literally as easy as that – how can you expect to take one day when you’re not willing to give?

“People who get transplants get to go back to normal, to the years before diagnosis.

“Transplants can last 20 or 30 years but that’s 20 or 30 years of being able to live your life again.”

He added: “The biggest thing about being on the register is making sure you tell your family and your friends because a living person has to give consent and if they don’t know and decide to say no, your wishes won’t be met.”

Mr Bainbridge is also calling for more awareness of the symptoms of kidney failure, which include weakness, tiredness, itchiness and high blood pressure.

To sign up for the organ donation register, visit organdonation.nhs.uk.