It’s official. It’s Christmas. However it finds you this year, may it be kind and generous to you, and those you love.
In this corner, today usually marks the start of twelve days of blogs for Live Loudly Donate Proudly, one for each day of the season. That is looking unlikely this time due to other circumstances a little beyond our control. Time for relaxing? Ha! Not quite! Busy, busy, busy. People to visit, places to be, things to do…
They say that if you want a job doing, ask someone who is already busy. So, here’s our commitment this time. On each of these twelve days we will aim to open a conversation about organ donation with someone different. It may be someone who is fresh to the idea, or who has not given it much thought before. Not in an attempt to persuade, but an invitation to consider how lives can be transformed, saved, by this kindest of gifts. There may be some who have already reached their decision on organ donation but haven’t yet spoken with their families and, where possible, that conversation is something we’d particularly like to encourage.
There are so many people able to enjoy this Christmas because of the miraculous gift, wrapped in a few words, and honoured by the donor’s family, “Yes, I would like to be an organ donor, if the circumstances arise.” And no words will ever fully capture their gratitude, or that of their family and friends, for that gift.
Nor will there be satisfactory words to fill the absence left by those donors who “in their final hours, gave a lifetime.” Thank you.
To their families – we see you. We honour those you miss, those you will always hold in your hearts. Speak their names often, and with immense pride.
Conversations about organ donation, in the right time and place, can be simple, brief, and focused on the life-giving hope they may carry. Perhaps, somewhere in those conversations we hope to have this Christmas, there will be ideas, questions, surprises we may be able to include in future blogs. If, amid the busy-ness of this Christmas, you have a chance to open such a conversation, thank you. If anything arises in it that you could tell us about (on Instagram or Facebook ), thank you again.
“Merry Christmas to everyone. Enjoy the day, and remember to always be grateful for the life you live.”