Since I began my transplant journey, I know how there are two sides of every story.
My family suffered the anxiety of me collapsing into a coma and being in intensive care over Christmas and New Year's not knowing if I would ever come home.
Another family had to confront their loved one in intensive care but they found out their loved one was never coming home.
Still while dealing with the loss of their loved one, that family found the courage and compassion to give consent for their loved ones organs to be donated and in doing so saved my life.
Every day in Australia around 3 families are faced with the decision to donate their loved ones organs.
Because we don't talk enough about organ donation and the association with the loss of a loved one around half of families asked will say NO.
Jersey Day is a day where we are encouraged to have a conversation about whether when our mortal journey has ended we would want the lives of others to be saved by our loved one's giving their consent to donate our organs.
Jersey Day allows us to talk about death and the gift of life when there is not tragedy, grieving or loss affecting how we feel. Talking about it now and praying we are never asked will make a huge difference in the moment, if we are ever confronted with the loss of a loved one.
I will be forever grateful that the other family made the decision they did and I know that whilst my family benefited from a happy ending the other family didn't buy I trust they gained some relief from their grief through the gift of life they gave.
Opmerkingen