“I couldn’t thank the donors enough” – that’s the simple message during Organ Donation Week from one NHS nurse whose husband’s life was saved due to a double organ transplant.
Tracy’s story
Tracy Bewick’s husband Adrian needed a kidney and pancreas transplant due to his long term diabetes.
An agonising 18-month wait on the transplant list ensued. And this wait only ended when a donor was found.
Now fit and well, Adrian is able to continue his life, spending valuable time he wasn’t always sure he would get with Tracy and their 21-year-old daughter Lauren.
Tracy Bewick’s story
Title card: It’s Organ Donation Week 7 to 13 September 2020. Visit organdonation.nhs.uk to find out more about the new law around organ donation in England.
Tracy: My name’s Tracy and I’m a staff nurse on the day case unit.
My husband was poorly a few years ago. He has been diabetic for many years and needed a kidney and pancreas transplant.
He was only 44 and was struggling every day to do basic tasks. And he was on dialysis. Our whole lives had stopped.
He was on the transplant waiting list for a kidney and pancreas transplant. 18 months we waited.
It was a long, hard 18 months. We couldn’t go anywhere, do anything and it was really hard work.
In January last year, he finally got a call that a transplant had come.
It’s mixed emotions. You’re really excited that he’s gonna get the transplant and hopefully be cured but you’re also thinking of the family that’s given the gift.
Our lives since have changed dramatically.
He’s well. We can live again and we can start being a family again.
I couldn’t thank the donors enough.
I’ve got a daughter who’s 21-years-old. She obviously found it very difficult to watch her dad struggling. Him being on the transplant list was difficult for her, never knowing when that call was coming.
Her life was put on hold too. As a family it’s been a real struggle.
But the organ donation has made a dramatic difference.
After everything we’ve been through, it’s so important for people to be on the register.
Your lives completely change. You never want to be in the position we were in but when you are, that is all you’re thinking of.
Every person who’s on that register, every person that is talking about it is giving a gift to change people’s lives.
What does being an organ donor mean?
Organ Donation Week (7 – 13 September) encourages people to think about organ donation and discuss their personal decision with their loved ones.
Specialist Organ Donation Nurse Clare Fletcher commented: “Potentially, one donor can save up to nine lives and with tissue donation a further 40 people can live a better life.
“Recently there’s been a change in the law. Moving to an ‘opt out’ law will let us save more lives.
“Your family is always consulted before donation, to make sure your decision is honoured and make sure they know what you want. Have the conversation and let them know your decision.”
Clare Fletcher – Organ Donation Week
Title card: It’s Organ Donation Week 7 to 13 September 2020. Visit organdonation.nhs.uk to find out more about the new law around organ donation in England.
Clare: My name’s Clare Fletcher and I’m a specialist nurse in organ donation.
This week is organ donation week – a time for us to promote organ donation and the benefits for patients and families.
Recently there’s been a change in the law in organ donation. Moving us to an opt-out system will allow us to save more lives through the gift of donated organs for transplantation.
Max and Kiera’s law, as it’s known, still allows you to make that decision so please have a think – would you like to be an organ donor? And if so, register that decision on the organ donor register and tell your family and friends what you would like to do.
Potentially, one organ donor can help up to nine people receive a life-saving transplant.
Most commonly, it tends to be three or four patients receive a transplant. But then we can move onto tissue donation and the numbers go up even further with over 40 people being able to be helped as well.
The change in the organ donation law does not mean that your organs will be automatically taken for transplant after you die.
Your decision will always be checked with the organ donation register and with your family. Your family are always consulted in making this decision.
Cath’s story
It’s not always an easy subject and sometimes people do change their mind about organ donation. One such person is Trust Intensive Care Healthcare Assistant Cath Simpson.
Previously Cath was uncomfortable about the thought of organ donation but a recent experience has since changed her mind.
Cath Simpson’s story
Title card: It’s Organ Donation Week 7 to 13 September 2020. Visit organdonation.nhs.uk to find out more about the new law around organ donation in England.
Cath: My name is Catherine Simpson, I work on critical care and I have been in this Trust for 33 years.
I wasn’t previously in favour of organ donation.
I don’t think I had enough understanding and I don’t think I really realised what a brilliant gift it can be to somebody else and their families.
A recent experience was a lady on my ward recently died suddenly and she was on the organ donation list and I felt like it was so unselfish what she did at the end, what you can let people live on to.
And it really changed my perspective of everything and now I’ve signed up to the organ donation list the day after.
The organ donation team, doctors, everybody involved were so respectful and so mindful. There was even a minute’s silence.
The lady was treat with total respect. It was a fantastic experience and just the most unselfish, best gift that you could ever, ever do.
I was in awe of her.
Have that discussion with your family, take that burden away.
Nobody knows what can happen today, tomorrow or the next hour.
If you’ve already discussed it with family, it helps the family.
You could die and it could be a big shock and the family are grieving and in shock and you’re thinking differently.
If you’ve already had that talk with your family and friends to let them know that that was your decision, then that helps the family as well.
And that’s your last decision to say.
And it just takes a stress out of if it. It could be such a bad time for a family.
More about organ donation
The Organ Donation Act places all adults in England on the register. There are some exclusions to the new law. These include:
- People under the age of 18
- Those lacking the mental capacity to give consent
- Anyone who has lived in the country for less than 12 months
However, this does not mean consent to donate organs after death is automatically granted.
We still require permission from the next of kin before donation takes place and every adult has the right to ‘opt out’ from the register. You can also decide which organs and tissues you do and do not want to be considered for donation.