How many of you are donors?

[ARphotographs]

And for the ones with children how many of you have registered them? or have even thought what you would do if the worst was to happen?

The reason i'm in here posting is that earlier this year my niece (she was 5 months at this point) suffered from an enlarged heart which lead to major heart, kidney and lung failure. She was put onto a special machine called an ECMO machine and life support to help her breathe.

After a few weeks in Glasgow's Yorkhill Childrens Hospital she was transfered down to Newcastle's Freeman to have her in the right place for once a heart became available. The problem was at that point there was around 5 other children ahead of her waiting for a heart as well. Gradually some of them got transplants and sadly some passed away.

Lucy (my niece) got a heart transplant early this month, which was very relieving but it was not without its own complications. The electrical signals that the heart produces to keep its own rythem were not working correctly so she had to get a pacemaker put in as well.

Currently the last update i recieved was that things are finally looking really positive and she is being weaned off the sedation and other drugs. We are unsure if there is any brain damage from now about 3 months on life support.

I have posted this to help try and raise awareness as it can sometimes only be one story that touches one persons heart before they spread the story and help raise awareness.

There is a facebook group my sister made regaring it all,

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=...

and the Daily record covered the story before she got the transplant and then did another once she recieved it.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health-news/2010...

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/2010/0...

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Adam

[Marf]

Good to hear your Neice sounds like she is doing better

Registered donor here

[dxg]

Also registered here. They can have anything they want, but not my corneas, because the idea of that freaks me out somewhat. Heart, lungs, kidneys: all fine. Eyes: eeek!

[Marf]

dxg said:

Also registered here. They can have anything they want, but not my corneas, because the idea of that freaks me out somewhat. Heart, lungs, kidneys: all fine. Eyes: eeek!

Ditto, everything except eyes and skin.

[missdiane]

Good to hear niece is on the mend

My Father in law donated his corneas on death, it was the only thing they would take he died from cancer
I don't care what they take, but they won't want my heart, damaged goods already

[pokethepope]

I'm registered to give anything and everything. Its going to be eaten by a worm or flame-grilled anyway so i'd prefer it actually goes to someone.

[ARphotographs]

thanks everyone,

i'm registered as they can have everything they want, also giving blood next week.

Its been really hard for the whole family, but its great to be a bit more relaxed that she is getting better.

[bigandclever]

I'm registered to donate the lot and give platelets every month or so. I'm also on the Anthony Nolan Trust thing for bone marrow donation, but fortunately haven't ever been asked.

[EINSIGN]

My opinion, system should be that you have to opt out, not opt in. Also the idiots that won’t donate shouldn’t be allowed to receive organs when they break down..

[staceyb]

Blood donor, registered on organ and bone marrow donor lists and everything that is left over from donating is to go to Newcastle Medical school for research purposes.

[samdale]

pokethepope said:

I'm registered to give anything and everything. Its going to be eaten by a worm or flame-grilled anyway so i'd prefer it actually goes to someone.

i have similar thoughts, once im gone they're not doing me any good any more so i really hope my organs could go and help someone else rather than "go to waste" as it were.


all the best to your niece for a speedy recovery.


ETA: bone marrow donor here as well, such a small sacrifice considering the difference it can make

Edited by samdale on Sunday 22 August 19:56

[grumbledoak]

I'd donate blood, as you do that as a living being, voluntarily. Otherwise I'm very suspicious of the medical industry, and not a donor. I wouldn't even consider signing up my little boy.

I'd be quite happy with a clear "In or out" decision; I'm out.

Glad your niece is doing well.

[Penny-lope]

Marf said:

dxg said:

Also registered here. They can have anything they want, but not my corneas, because the idea of that freaks me out somewhat. Heart, lungs, kidneys: all fine. Eyes: eeek!

Ditto, everything except eyes and skin.

Same here...eyes are just wrong

[trix-a-belle]

EINSIGN said:

My opinion, system should be that you have to opt out, not opt in. Also the idiots that won’t donate shouldn’t be allowed to receive organs when they break down..

+1!!!!

all my family are registered donors for anything they want to take, we don't need it so spread the love
having received the heart warming letter telling us how many people were helped by my grandad's organs after his death it hurts that more people aren't registered.
I would give blood more too but my body doesn't seem to like giving it up whatever I do

S

[LMC]

Registered here, except for my eyes, don't ask me why. It's not as if I'll be needing them...

[K50 DEL]

Registered for everything here, including bone marrow.
Sadly can't give blood as I work in a Malaria infected country.

Firmly belive the donor system should be opt-out not opt-in.

[LMC]

Registered here, except for my eyes, don't ask me why. It's not as if I'll be needing them...

[davido140]

Registered to donate everything... I'm going to try and haunt/posess anyone that gets my "bits" though!

Just a thought, this being PH and all, what if you found out (post mortem if possible) that your bits had been donated to some useless waste of oxygen, dole scum or such-like.. if there was a box to tick that your organs would only go to someone that met criteria defined by you before death, would you tick it?

As I understand it if you donate marrow (as with blood) you never know where it goes, what if you did meet the recipient of your vital bone gooey stuff and they were an utter wastrel.... Kerry Katona for example, would you still donate or have a sudden change of heart?

[Quaint]

They're welcome to anything they want of mine. I'm not going to need it, and if someone else can get some useful mileage out of a kidney or lung then it seems churlish in the extreme to refuse.

[King Herald]

I'm a donor, registered on-line long ago, and I put my daughter down too.

If the unthinkable were to happen and she were to die, I'd like to think a part of her was living on in somebody else, still walking and talking, still with us. Much rather that than she be totally gone from my life.



But we do now live far, far away from the real world, in the Philippines, so I don't know if any of this plan would ever materialise.