Time to talk about organ donation
WITH Donate Life Week running until August 2, local residents are being encouraged to have a conversation with their loved ones and make their feelings known about organ and tissue donation.
Liz Hill, Darling Downs Health clinical nurse consultant for organ donation, said the week was also a time to recognise and reflect on the gift given by donors and their families and think about what a change that has made to our community as a whole.
“Donate Life Week is something we do at this time every year and it’s a week for families and community members to talk about organ donation, so if you’ve never made a decision about organ donation this is a good time to do it,” Ms Hill said.
“As donor co-ordinator I meet so many wonderful donor families, and as devastating as the loss of their loved is, they know there is another family out there somewhere, hoping and praying for an organ donation which will provide a second chance at life.
“I think it’s an amazing gift to give and it’s something that we should all take the time to consider.”
Liz worked closely with Carol Mellis, who was faced with a situation that no one anticipates, but many face.
“We found ourselves at the hospital here unexpectedly after my husband had an accident at home, and as a result of a fall he had a massive brain haemorrhage and there was nothing that could be done to save him,” Mrs Mellis said.
“We’d previously had a discussion and agreed that we’d both want to be organ donors if we ever found ourselves in that situation.
Mrs Mellis said the knowledge that other families had benefited from her husband’s donation was a gift in itself.
“You don’t know who the recipients are, but they can send their thanks to donor families anonymously, through Donate Life,” she said.
“I got cards via Donate Life from the recipients and to read their words was extremely emotional and very humbling, to feel their thoughts and gratitude about the second chance they had at a normal life, it’s quite amazing really and to know they are doing well is just wonderful.
“That’s why to talk about organ donation is, I think, the most important discussion you can have.
“In our case we wouldn’t have been able to have that discussion after the accident happened, so it’s a discussion you need to have.”
For more information about registering as a donor visit www.donatelife.gov.au.