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TODAY SEES THE start of Organ Donor Awareness Week.
The week is a huge deal for the likes of the Irish Kidney Association, for whom 74% of donations are generated from the public.
266 organ transplants took place in Ireland last year, fully 22 more than in 2014. 81 deceased donors and their families contributed to those life-saving exercises.
One of those to benefit from the generosity of those who died was 21-year-old Laura Dolan.
Laura had been on a liver transplant waiting list for 10 months before her life-changing surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin in September 2015.
Freedom
Speaking to TheJournal.ie from Lanzarote, her first holiday in two years, Laura talks of the rejuvenation her life has seen since her operation.
“I’ve just got so much freedom to just do stuff, I can leave Dublin now, I couldn’t do so before because I always had to be available on the off chance the call came through,” she says.
The call she’s talking about is of course that which would tell her that an appropriate organ had become available. It’s a grim fact of life that that call would coincide with the death of another.
Laura had been on the transplant waiting list for ten months since November 2014. That may seem like a short time to the uninitiated. For her it was anything but.
“It certainly didn’t seem like a short time,” she says. “It felt like forever. You can be on the list for a week or you can be on it for two years, it all depends.”
Glenageary-native Laura was diagnosed with auto-immune hepatitis when she was 15. From that moment on she knew a transplant was likely. Not long after she was additionally diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a progressive liver disease.
“It just meant I was sick all the time, I never had any energy,” she says.
I’m studying child-care in college and I’d be doing a bit of work in a school when college was done, and I was just exhausted, worn out.
Now I come home and I still have energy. The difference is unreal.
Family
Laura was hospitalised four times last summer. As she says, her immune system “was so low”. No more though. She’s incredibly grateful for the chance she’s been given. As far as she knows her donor was a girl of about the same age as herself. Such details have to be kept secret though, for obvious reasons.
“I’m allowed to write to their family. I haven’t done so yet though. I want to spend a little time living this way so I can truly appreciate what has been done for me before I get in touch,” she says.
For the moment, she has to take anti-rejection drugs daily in order to ensure that the transplant takes. But all signs are that the surgery was a resounding success.
With luck, I’ll be able to live like this now for the rest of my life. I’m lucky, my family have been so supportive, and I have a great group of girlfriends who have always been there for me.
To this writer, the world of organ-donation is a mystery. Understandably, Laura speaks enthusiastically on the gift that ordinary people can give to each other. She understands that people can be squeamish (“people are wary of being cremated, what comes after death is a sensitive subject for them”), but she looks at in a logical manner.
“Your organs are no use to anyone in the ground,” she says. “Why not save a life?”
If you knew you were able to save a minimum of one life, and really you can save four, that would be something amazing for you to do.
It’s important at least, that whether you carry a card or not, that your family know what your wishes are.
Organ donation has given Laura her life back. There can be no greater recommendation than that.
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The country needs to move to an opt out system where everyone is by default a donor
@Random – No it does not. No person is ‘entitled’ to another person’s organs. I wasn’t going to comment due to previous aggressive reactions by others – but the hard truth that people are NOT told, is that donors are kept alive right up to the moment the organs are harvested from them. This practice is what necessitated the term ‘brain dead’ to be created. In other words, the process of taking the organs is what kills the donor. If people knew this – they would not be so eager to sign on the dotted line.
@The Dude, I didn’t know this. But now I know, if you’re to be believed. I will still remain an organ donor. So will anyone I’m next of kin to, too.
@Peter – That is absolutely fine Peter. That is your sovereign choice. The point is that most people don’t know this – and many people would not be fine with it. There are some horrific stories I have heard including a French man who woke as they were cutting into his chest to take his heart. There is entry information about this online. People should be aware of ALL the facts.
That should read ‘Plenty Information’.
Sure it’s all part of god’s plan, relax.
The Dude, as always, it’s against anything good and sensible.
@Bull – No. I’m merely informing people about a side of the story that is kept from the public.
In fairness, The Dude – I’ve heard that claptrap for 25 years and it’s still not worth worrying g about
@thedude I do know this and I would still donate
@dude why are religious nuts against organ donation?
Our daughter received a double lung transplant 6 yrs ago. She is doing very well and living life to the full.The impact of transplantation is very difficult to describe it is so so wonderful.We are so grateful and we are constantly finding ways to express that gratitude to donors and their families and Karen Redmond the wonderful surgeon. The Late Late interview with Karen Redmond her 3 lovely lady organ recipients was inspirational.
Delighted for that woman.
Whilst it’s important to respect the wishes of the family of someone who may be in the position to donate it just seems to me to be a no brainer to donate. An opt in system is the way forward and should be the “new norm”. Best wishes to the the people and families on either side of the process.
Opt in is what we already have. Opt out is the way forward…i.e. Everyone is assumed to be a donor unless they actively opt out.
In the absence of an opt-out system I’ve seen that talking about organ donation has a positive effect. I was involved in a campaign in the early 90s that had it in the news every day for weeks. I believe that donation enquiries increased significantly at that time.
So well done to whoever came up with Organ Donation Week and I wish this young woman health and happiness. And if the family of the donor are reading this, then I hope you feel the gratitude of the nation and know that your humanity has done something miraculous. Thank you.
I think it’s amazing to be able to donate one’s organs. If I must die then let my death help someone else live.
Caroline – read my above comment and maybe you might change your mind about how amazing it is.
@thedude I was already aware of that. Of course they have to keep your organs alive to be able to use them.
What exactly is your aim? Awareness u say? People are aware of facts as can be seen from responses. Give it a rest and go away. This piece is to positively raise awareness in a sensitive way. You are a negative scare monger.
Comment for @TheDude sorry
@Hazel – So informing people of factual information is scaremongering – is it? What an interesting point of view.
I heard a listener, to Moanin’ Joe Duffy say. She’d be missing organs in next life, If she donated hers and would never donate but would take one if she needed it. How thick, ignorant and greedy these people are. I’d say, use any part of me you need and leave me with my good looks.
The IKA need to explain why whey are against presumed consent.
Why not have a National opt out system.
Shhhh, that’s clever thinking there Sherlock and we don’t do that in Ireland.
I carry my card and have informed family. I also give blood when I can and am registered with the European unrelated bone marrow registry. I don’t get why everyone doesn’t do the same. It doesn’t cost you anything but time which is something other people don’t have.
I’m all in favor organ donation but remember you can donate blood and platlets while you’re living. Please opt in for organ donation and get yourselves to your nearest Blood Bank and donate the gift of life.
See you’ve already sold your heart and brain
I want money for my organs
That’s fair enough but I don’t think anyone would want to buy them
Post a pic and we’ll tell you what it’s worth
Put them on E Bay…
I don’t understand why it’s not presumed donation with an opt out system?
have your say