Organ donation: Max and Keira's Law starts today

A new law named after two children is coming into force.

From 20 May, Max and Keira's Law will make a big change to the way that organ donation works in England.

It should make it easier for adults to become donors.

Max and Keira's story

Keira sadly lost her life, but her heart donation saved Max's - their story has helped change the way that people donate their organs in England

Max, 12, had a heart transplant over three years ago.

He was very poorly, but his life was saved by his organ donor - Keira - who sadly died when she was nine.

She saved four people in total through organ donation.

Opt out or opt in?

Their story has inspired politicians to change things in England.

Before the new law came into place, if an adult in England died and they hadn't signed up to a special list called the organ donation list, then their organs could not be automatically used to help save or improve the lives of other people.

They had to opt in.

This prevented lots of people from becoming organ donors even if they supported the idea - just because they'd never got around to signing the register. Thanks to Max and Keira's story that has now changed.

Now, all adults in England will be presumed to be a possible organ donor when they die, unless they have made a decision that they do not want to be a donor or they are in a group who aren't allowed be donors.

They now have to opt out, which Max and others are hoping will help save more lives each year.

You are only allowed to go on the register if you are over 18. If you are younger, you can tell your parents what you'd like to happen but they would make the final decision.

The final choice will still rest with families and if they knew their loved one did not wish to be an organ donor - even if they had not opted out - they will still be able to tell doctors and donation will not take place.

According to the government's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the new law could mean that there will be up to 700 extra transplants each year by 2023.

Originally the law was going to be known as Max's Law but that changed as Max says he wanted Keira's name involved too,

Keira's family has also set up a charity in memory of their daughter to help other families who have lost a loved one.

What about the rest of the UK?

In 2015, Wales became the first nation in the UK to introduce an opt out system to increase the number of organ donors.

Scotland also aims to have a similar system, which is planned to come into law in 2021.

The current organ donation law in Northern Ireland remains an opt-in system. The Northern Ireland Assembly decided in 2016 not to make any changes at that time, but they brought in more rules about promoting organ donation as a means of increasing the number of donors.