A Successful National Transplant Week

I think this year's National Transplant Week has been a great success. There have been stories and news about organ donation and transplant in the papers, on the radio and on the television all week long. Hopefully they will help to raise awareness of all the issues regarding transplant and organ donation and get people thinking about it and discussing it with their families.

I think the the theme of 'spellitout' has been a really good one and believe campaigns like this are so important so people can make their own informed decisions on whether organ donation is for them or not. It is probably unlikely for families to find themselves in a position where they will need to decide whether or not to donate a loved one's organs. At least if they have had a discussion about it, then they will feel more able to make a decision on what they feel is the right thing to do for their loved one and for them as a family should they ever find themselves facing this agonising dilemma. 

It was great to take part in such an important campaign and fantastic to see how the whole 'transplant' community rallied together including donor families, transplant recipients, NHSBT and transplant hospitals. We also have to thank the press, radio and TV for so actively supporting us and my special thanks go to BBC 3 Counties Radio and the 'Weekly News' newspaper for giving me the chance to play my part. 

We finished off the week by celebrating at a special event at Papworth Hospital held especially for National Transplant Week. For me it was a celebration of having been lucky enough to receive my transplant and getting the most precious gift of my new heart and lungs. For the last two years I've attended the event as a patient on the transplant list. Last year I said to one of the nurses, who had organised the event, that I would really like it if I could come back next year having had my transplant. Well I got my wish and my dream come true thanks to my wonderful selfless donor and her generous family. 

My donor is forever part of me on my journey through life now. I've listened to several 'donor' families speak about their decision to donate this week and it has felt both heart warming and humbling to hear them talk of the comfort it has given them. I listened to one mother who really moved me when she said on the radio that she wakes up every morning and thinks of the recipients and them making the most of their new lives. This is where 'donor' families and 'recipient' families have an intangible link even though we do not know each other. Every morning when I wake up I do a very similar thing, I think of my donor and the new and transformed life they have given me. Not only have I been given the gift of a second chance at life, but they have given me the gift of knowing how delicate and precious life is. The gift of knowing I need to make every second count. 

National Transplant Week 2014 #Spellitout

Today is the start of this year's National Transplant Week. Currently there are around 7000 seriously and terminally ill people waiting in hope for a life saving transplant. While they have to wait their condition needs to remain relatively stable or else it is likely they will become too sick to cope with a major transplant operation. 

Because there is a shortage of organ donors, the waiting time can be too long and some patients don't survive. Currently 3 people a day die while waiting for a transplant. I was one of the lucky ones and although I waited exactly 2 years, 1 week and 1 day, I got my life saving transplant. That means while I waited 2214 other patients lost their lives. Yes, absolutely shocking isn't it? 

One reason for the shortage of donors is that less than 30% of the population have actually signed up to be on the organ donor register, although over 90% of the population agree they would accept an organ if they needed a life saving operation. 

Family refusal for an organ donation to go ahead because families do not know their loved one's wishes is also a huge barrier too. When families have had the discussion and know their loved one's wishes then they are much more likely to consent to organ donation. Only 31% of families give consent in these conditions, whereas if families know their loved one's wishes this is raised to 90%. It is so important to let your families know your thoughts on organ donation and so important to get familes talking about organ donation, so the aim of this year's National Transplant Week is to 'Spell it Out' and get families having that 'discussion'.

We volunteered to help NHSBT with their campaign as they were looking for volunteers who have been 
deeply affected by organ donation and we had an interview with the Weekly News, which is a weekly national newspaper and our story was published in Saturday's edition, together with a piece from NHSBT and hopefully it will have reached a lot of readers and got them having that all important discussion. 

 

Last Friday we were invited to take part in a radio show about transplant at BBC 3 Counties Radio in Luton and tell our story about my illness and transplant. The show was broadcast on Sunday and featured others speaking about organ donation from NHSBT, University of Beds and also another transplant patient, who had received a kidney from her husband. It made an interesting programme highlighting many aspects about organ donation and transplant. Again, I hope it reached many listeners, who might now have that discussion with their families. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p021ggcd

If you want to see my story, other real life transplant stories, find out more about National Transplant Week or register to be an organ donor click on the link below: 

http://www.transplantweek.co.uk/personal_stories/case_studies/kath.asp

Don't forget if you want to be an organ donor then tell your family! Spell it Out!