Breakthrough is well worth celebrating

It is easy to disparage modern society and its apparently ever increasing reliance on technical wizardry. Many find it tempting to hark back to more simple times, when our lives were not dictated by a constant stream of phone calls, emails and social media messages.

Yet, in so doing we would be overlooking the quite incredible impact modern advances are having in areas such as medicine.

Yesterday, Chris King spoke of his joy on writing a letter to his surgeon. It would be an entirely unremarkable achievement were it not for the fact the 57-year-old recently received a double hand transplant.

Making a cup of tea and doing the garden are just two other every day tasks we all take for granted that Mr King is now revelling in.

Just a few short years ago there would have been little prospect of such an outcome for Mr King following a devastating workplace accident.

However, such are the incredible advances in technology, many injuries that would have been at the very least lifelimiting in the past are now capable of being successfully treated.

Mr King’s story is not just about the march of technology, however. It is also about the donors who help to ensure such amazing breakthroughs are possible.

Without basic human kindness none of these “medical miracles” would be possible.