How inspiring to read about Howard Taylor now enjoying a new lease of life thanks to receiving a kidney from his wife, Liz, My saviour (Oxford Mail, December 4).

Last year, Mr Taylor was one of almost 600 people - the highest number ever - to benefit from a living donor kidney transplant, thanks to the generosity of a close relative or loved one.

While few of us will ever have the opportunity to offer this gift during our lifetime, we can all help life go on for a complete stranger after our death by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.

The register is maintained by UK Transplant, part of the NHS, and was introduced in 1994.

To date, more than 13.8m people have signed up.

To find out more about organ donation and transplantation, and to sign up to the register, people can contact the Organ Donor Line on 0845 60 60 400 or visit www.uktransplant.org.uk Even those already carrying a donor card should get in touch to ensure their wishes are recorded.

It is also important to discuss your wishes with your family, so that if the time ever comes, relatives are in no doubt what their loved one's wishes were.

Transplants are undoubtedly one of the most remarkable achievements of modern medicine. However, a critical shortage of donor organs means there are currently more than 8,000 people needing a transplant and around 400 people die each year while waiting.

We know from our research that 90 per cent of British people support organ donation, but only about 23 per cent have signed up to the donor register.

JOHN OLIVER UK Transplant Bristol