Are you on the Organ Donor Register?
I've had my donor card since I was fourteen, and am on the Organ Donor Register. That was that. I thought little more about it.
Last year I read an article on the BBC website about a woman called Tor Tremlett has Cystic Fibrosis who was waiting for a double lung transplant. It linked to her blog and her twitter feed (Tor87) in which she describes life waiting for new lungs. When she was put on the transplant list she was told without new lungs she had 18 months. This was four years ago last week. She has had seven false alarms - calls when the lungs have not proved suitable. Read Tor's Plea here.
I have never needed an organ. I know two people who have had their lives changed by transplant - a school friend who had a new kidney when she was in her mid teens, and a former colleague who had a corneal transplant when she was 20. I know how their lives were transformed.
There are many good reasons why people do not or cannot donate, but there are also lots of people who have never thought of it. The whole purpose of this post is to ask that if you aren't on the Organ Donor Register you seriously consider it (and you can sign up here. If you are already on the register, make sure your family and friends know your wishes. Make sure you know their thoughts too.
This is something I feel so strongly about at the moment. Tor and many others are waiting and so many die before they get their call. I hope no one ever needs to check if I'm on the Register - I plan to live to a ripe old age and fade quietly away surrounded by family and books. I'd just like to know that if something did happen to me it would give someone else a chance.
Thank you for reading. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.
Last year I read an article on the BBC website about a woman called Tor Tremlett has Cystic Fibrosis who was waiting for a double lung transplant. It linked to her blog and her twitter feed (Tor87) in which she describes life waiting for new lungs. When she was put on the transplant list she was told without new lungs she had 18 months. This was four years ago last week. She has had seven false alarms - calls when the lungs have not proved suitable. Read Tor's Plea here.
I have never needed an organ. I know two people who have had their lives changed by transplant - a school friend who had a new kidney when she was in her mid teens, and a former colleague who had a corneal transplant when she was 20. I know how their lives were transformed.
There are many good reasons why people do not or cannot donate, but there are also lots of people who have never thought of it. The whole purpose of this post is to ask that if you aren't on the Organ Donor Register you seriously consider it (and you can sign up here. If you are already on the register, make sure your family and friends know your wishes. Make sure you know their thoughts too.
This is something I feel so strongly about at the moment. Tor and many others are waiting and so many die before they get their call. I hope no one ever needs to check if I'm on the Register - I plan to live to a ripe old age and fade quietly away surrounded by family and books. I'd just like to know that if something did happen to me it would give someone else a chance.
Thank you for reading. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.