I'll give you my heart if you promise to look after it /Organ donation
Today there's been a lot of talk in the media to get organ donation up and running, ad campaigns, there's a programme on Wednesday night, channel 5 "The gift of life" I'm hoping that it's going to be good, they're a few organ 'receivers' and their views on it.blood runs and tonnes of fund raising, apparently
As much as people try to pretend it's not, it is! It's scary, 'kinda gross' and it's yours. It's something so personal and has such an emotional attachment to you, I mean, it's your life and death! Your organs were grown by you, in your mother's womb, it's a part of who you are...
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But, I clicked it, I signed up.
60,000 organ donor deaths happen in the uk every year, only 5,000 are elidgable for organ donation (organs might have failed or been beyond rescue), and only 60% have family willing to go along with those wishes.
Why?
Why are people not willing to give life after theirs has ended, because it's scary!
Why are people not willing to give life after theirs has ended, because it's scary!
Yup, I said it.
As much as people try to pretend it's not, it is! It's scary, 'kinda gross' and it's yours. It's something so personal and has such an emotional attachment to you, I mean, it's your life and death! Your organs were grown by you, in your mother's womb, it's a part of who you are...
Have you ever owned something and when it's passed it's use you feel sadness for letting it go?
That's how I'd image it to feel..but that's ok! It's ok to be scared of death, but to give something back from it should be an ease for the worry you feel. After all signing up as an organ donor is a one-time thing, after that you didn't need to think about it.
So, you die.
We all will, that's a given! Why not leave something after you die, leave a part of you, give life and help your family's grief by explaining to them that giving life after death is something important to you.
That's how I'd image it to feel..but that's ok! It's ok to be scared of death, but to give something back from it should be an ease for the worry you feel. After all signing up as an organ donor is a one-time thing, after that you didn't need to think about it.
So, you die.
We all will, that's a given! Why not leave something after you die, leave a part of you, give life and help your family's grief by explaining to them that giving life after death is something important to you.
#Let them brag "My son was an organ donor" - "my Aunt died, but she was a wonderful person, she gave her heart as an organ donation"
Make someone proud.---
I'm not saying you should feel guilty if it really isn't something you want to do, mostly because I was in that boat too. I felt sick when it came to actually signing up for it..I spent years occasionally thinking about it, it creeped me out, like a lot of things. Someone walking around with my body parts? Frankenstein sprang to mind,It really 'weirded me out' to think that someone would have my body parts..but, I grew up. I realised that it could be me...
I'd spent weeks thinking about it, I spoke to my partner about it, hoping someone would almost give me a reason not to sign up. There were no reasons against it, I'm a healthy fit and happy young woman, I would give anything to spend more time with the ones I loved so I want to give back and just hope that someone would do the same for me, should I need it.
I just needed to learn more about the process.I loaded up the NHS website.. filled in a 30-second form.."Who are you, what would you like to donate, What don't you want to donate?"..ect.
How much would I give to live?
I'd spent weeks thinking about it, I spoke to my partner about it, hoping someone would almost give me a reason not to sign up. There were no reasons against it, I'm a healthy fit and happy young woman, I would give anything to spend more time with the ones I loved so I want to give back and just hope that someone would do the same for me, should I need it.
I just needed to learn more about the process.I loaded up the NHS website.. filled in a 30-second form.."Who are you, what would you like to donate, What don't you want to donate?"..ect.
I finished it quite quickly, considering it's such an important form. Then again, there really were only 6 questions, then.. there was a Submit button.
Guilt,worry,nausea.
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I really didn't want to pause at that point or give up because "I was too scared" it's a chance for someone to have life, my petty worries would deny them that? I couldn't help but worry..all of the questions came flooding into my brain.
"Would my family agree to this?"
"Would my partner?"
"Would my mum be more upset after my death if I had donated" My parents are jehovas witnesses- They don't believe in organ donation, giving blood etc.
"Would my partner become obsessed with finding the recipient?" "What if it was a woman, what if she had my heart? - Would he fall for her?" I honestly worried about this
My biggest fear , as irrational as it sounds, would be that the doctors wouldn't try to save me. They've spent years training and they're taking organs to preserve life, why wouldn't they try their best to save mine? Exactly! It's a silly thought that the doctors wouldn't save me,..
Non-the-less, I still worried about it and in the few seconds it took for me to really re-asses my worries I felt guilty for having them.
But, I clicked it, I signed up.
I just wanted to say, whilst everyone puts a halo on organ donation it's ok to feel scared and you will definitely have worries ( I still do) but all you have to do is sign a piece of paper or click a box and you could save a life. It could be your mums,sisters, brother's or uncle's life, it could be a complete stranger, but you've done the impossible you've given a dying person another chance at life.
I hope that you follow the lead of the not-so-many others before me, and sign up today,tomorrow or anytime in the future, don't leave it too late though...
There's always a tomorrow but you don't know what it'll bring, or take away.
#Letthembrag
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#Letthembrag
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If you're looking for things to sign-up for why not like us on facebook too?
Full bragging rights to anyone who's signed up or is already a living organ donor..
Brag in the comments below!
Halloween special post on Wed, then back to normal for Saturday! :)
Full bragging rights to anyone who's signed up or is already a living organ donor..
Brag in the comments below!
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