It’s Organ Donation Awareness Week 2024.
Lots of organisations have been preparing campaigns and activities to place organ donation matters in front of us over the next seven days – and, hopefully, beyond. Charities and campaigns, many created by individuals and families directly affected by organ donation have gathered stories and photographs to post and share across social media. There will be more about some of them in this week’s Live Loudly Donate Proudly blogs.
Hearing about the theme for the week, a friend asked, “What can I do to support it? I’ve been on the donor list for years; what can I do this week? How can I help?”
“That’s great. Thank you. Do your family know what you think?”
“Don’t think so, why?”
“Because if you’re ever in that rare and tragic situation where a medical team is starting conversations that might lead to some of your own organs being gifted to save the life of somebody else, it’s likely that they will be talking to your family. Even though we are all now presumed to be potential organ donors (with exceptions for age and certain other factors) should we ever be in that place our family’s consent will be vital. What they know about our decisions will matter. And if they are ever in that relative’s room at the side of an Intensive Care Unit, hearing the most awful news, it helps if it isn’t the first time they’ve heard of organ donation. It helps particularly if they know what you would say yourself. Then they may be better equipped to honour your decision and, perhaps, light a candle in someone else’s darkness. So yes, please talk with them.”
“What else can we do this week?”
Pause when you’re scrolling through your various social media platforms when you see something about organ donation week. Read it, then share, repost, whatever the platform allows that might spark a thought for someone else.
Write your own post. A few words. Do you know someone whose company you have been able to enjoy for more time due to their transplant? There must be a sentence in there somewhere, maybe a photo, some experience, memory, that wouldn’t be there without that transplant…
Or come away from the keyboard, and the phone screen, and prompt a conversation aloud. Talk about it to somebody. Anybody! “Did you know it’s organ donation awareness week this week? Have you ever thought about organ donation? Have you ever had a conversation with your family about it? Or with your friends?” You don’t need to be an expert to get it going, and you can always find out more if you look.
You don’t have to dye your hair pink for the week, or floodlight your house appropriately (hundreds of UK buildings and monuments will be lit in pink), or even choose pink when considering your wardrobe choice for the next few days, although many people will. It could be anything, and probably more creative than many of the ideas above. Whatever it is, if it opens the door on one conversation it could make an extraordinary difference, one day, somewhere.
Throw a thought in the pool and make a ripple for this year’s organ donation awareness week. You won’t be on your own…and thank you…
