Whose kidney is it?
What is the most precious thing you can leave when you die? Is it your house, your car? or is it the gift of life?
According to the BBC, three people die each day due to a lack of organ donors. Your life may have ended but by donating your organs others can live. Your heart, liver, lungs, kidney’s, pancreas etc, are no longer any use to you once your dead, but six organs could save 6 lives!
Not enough of us agree to donate our organs. For grieving relatives it can be distressing to discuss whether or not organs can be taken when a loved one dies. It’s also no fun for the medical staff:
“Mrs Jones, I am sorry at your loss, would you mind if we took your husband’s kidneys?”
Far better you make the decision while you live. Many of us make a will, deciding who gets our possessions, but what about the most precious possession of all, life?
You may decide you don’t want to donate your organs. That’s your choice. But at least think about it, make the decision and make it known. It’s one less thing for your family to worry about at a difficult time.
It’s very easy to register as an organ donor. I’ve just done it and it took all of sixty seconds. You can find out more at:
http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/
