Advance Warning !

It's nearly National Transplant Week, prepare to be swamped ! 

      

I was just thinking today whether all my FaceBook friends were actually on the Organ Donor Register, perhaps that should be my new criteria for adding new friends ? There's a thought.....

 In some ways why should you be registered it's your decision , your body, your organs. I wonder how many of my friends have registered to become donors because of Eloise and her story, must be a couple of people for sure. I guess her story highlights the fact that any of us could need a organ transplant in the future. Statistics tell us we're more likely to need a transplant than become a donor. Common viruses can cause rare complications leading to an individual needing a transplant, you don't need to be born with a "poorly" heart for example. 

    We all have things we are passionate about, organisations , concerns we support often things that have touched our lives or those of our loved ones. I guess Organ Donation is mine, I've been an organ donor since 1989, still got my card here somewhere . I signed up when I started my nurse training, can't remember if I found the leaflet at my new GP surgery or whether we were handed them when we started our course. Anyone in Set 227 remember....dig deep ! So of course now it's taken on a different meaning, we crossed over to the other side. I live with a transplant recipient. I have a gorgeous daughter who is only here because of a donated organ. See that pushes me on to promote the register, do you get sick of it ? If so please feel free to delete because I cannot stop. Sometimes it's what keeps me going, fills a potential void, gives purpose and helps me to give something back. 

Eloise is one of the lucky ones, she got an organ, nearly 7000 people are currently waiting for a transplant in the UK, 3 of those will die each day waiting only to be replaced by others. Statistics are cruel aren't they? 253 people are currently waiting for a heart transplant and 32 of those are children. It makes you realise what a lottery this is with quite poor odds. The family has to say yes to transplant, the organs need to be in transplantable condition, they need to tissue match, blood group match, CMV match, size match and be transferred to the transplant hospital within a small window of time. Then the donor needs to be ready and well enough to receive a transplant. I've probably missed something vital out but you get the general idea. It's a miracle anyone gets a transplant.  

So I could go on, perhaps I will next week, this is just your warning ! 

                        

So if you love me ( blackmail involved here ) please sign the Organ Donor Register Today, Tomorrow, as soon as you can it takes just minutes.

http://www.transplantweek.co.uk/register/