When you are finished with that…

Something has been occupying my thoughts of late. It seems to be following me about, as wherever I turn I seem to either read about it, watch something about it or talk to someone about it. Do you ever find that happens from time to time?

The subject is organ donation, and it was first triggered in my mind after watching a short news story about how the Welsh Minister for Heath and Social Services is attempting to make organ donation after death an opt-out system instead of the opt-in one it currently is. When I watched this, I found myself in total agreement. I would love to know that when I die, if someone else could be helped out by it in some way (however small) that would be great. Also, it’s not like it’s really putting me out, after all, I’d be dead – so I would not really have to DO anything anyway. But, up until very recently, I have not been on the Donor List. So if I died, It could be very possible that my body would go to waste, so to speak.

I was a little ashamed of the fact that something I so strongly agreed with was not something I was signed up for, that I was in fact one of the statistics that had NOT put their name down on the list. Now, this is not because I don’t care, or I could not be bothered. It’s more because I’ve been pretty busy in my life to date and have had a lot of things swimming around in my head (as we all do), and to be honest, organ donation has not been one of them (and I’m sure I’m not the only one)…not until it seemed to start popping up so frequently.

So this blog is making use of one of the wonderful aspects of the internet. It’s a powerful tool where you can tell all of your friends about a subject in exactly the way you want to, instead of trying to bring it up in conversation…and lets be honest, organ donation is not usually a hot topic for most people over a pint.

So, my message is:

If you, like me, have no real religious or personal beliefs that are going to stop you, and you don’t mind the idea of your body being looted for spare parts after you are gone, please (if you have not already) put your name on the list and sign up as an organ donor.

I realise that there are a lot of people out there who don’t like the idea of it, and sometimes talking about our own mortality can be an uncomfortable subject. So it’s not for everyone. But, put it this way: If tomorrow you got hit by a car and were rushed to hospital and found to be in need of some type of transplant…how many of you would say no? I know that I wouldn’t. So it could be said, if you are willing to be aided by it, you should also be prepared to help if you found yourself dead but with a good and usual body. I have been thinking, and I don’t mean this to come out as cheesy as it probably will, but I’ll say it anyway: Your best gift to anyone in the world and the best thing you may ever do could be in your willingness to help someone after your death.

So, if like me, you agree with organ donation but up until now have not been reminded about it, or been given enough prompts to think about it, consider this one of them. Hopefully it will be enough.

If you have a few moments spare, visit this link and fill out a short form:

http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/default.jsp

Sorry for the rather heavy subject matter, however I feel it to be important and a feel rather ashamed to have only just cottoned on. Knowing my luck I bet everyone reading this is already on the list and I have just succeeded in advertising the fact it’s taken me so long! But seriously, if one of you is not and if it gets one of you thinking, then it’s worth it.

Thanks for reading.

I hope everyone had a good New Year x