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Police In Italy Use Lamborghini To Rush Kidney To Hospital

Police In Italy Use Lamborghini To Rush Kidney To Hospital

The journey took just two hours in the supercar, instead of six

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Police in Italy used one of their super-fast Lamborghinis to rush a kidney to a hospital for a life-saving transplant.

Officers drove the blue and white Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4, which can reach speeds of up to 143mph(230kph), to drive 310 miles (500km) to drop off the kidney to the poorly recipient.

A video of the journey was shared on the State Police Twitter page, writing alongside it: "Thanks to our @Lamborghini Huracan, we delivered a donor kidney for transplant to a person in time, 'to save a life you don't need superpowers' solidarity, technology and efficiency also help."

The journey took around two hours in total - but would usually have taken about six, meaning they were able to successfully save a fair chunk of time when it was needed most.

Transporting organs, plasma and vaccines is the primary function of the police's Lamborghini Huracan - it is fitted with a special cold box for the organs.

As of May this year, all adults in England automatically became signed up to be organ donors, unless they opted out.

Twitter/@poliziadistato

'Max and Keira's Law' was introduced on 22 May and replaces the old opt-in system.

The law is named after two children, one of whom saved the other's life by donating her organs.

The proud parents of nine-year-old Keira, who helped saved the lives of four people, want to dispel the negative stories of organ donation, with the new law expected to save hundreds of lives each year.

The little girl's organs went on to save the lives of four other people, including young boy Max Johnson, who received her heart.

And the rule change came at a crucial time, as during Organ Donation Week in September, the NHS revealed that the number of people waiting for organs was at a five-year-high due to coronavirus pandemic.

John Forsythe, Medical Director for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "In 2018/19, we saw more people across the UK go on to donate their organs than ever before.

PA

"In 2019/20, we were on track to surpass the figures of the previous year, but sadly the impact of Covid-19 reduced the number of donations and transplants able to go ahead."

As a result, the NHS issued an urgent plea for more people to share their organ donation decision - something many may not have realised they can or needed to do.

Despite the introduction of Max and Kiera's Law, teams at NHS Blood and Transplant said they still continue to consult families before a donation would go ahead, and that the ultimate call must come down to relatives.

If you want to find out more about organ donation, the new law or to register your organ donation decision, visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@poliziadistato

Topics: World News, Italy, Cars