Organ donation week 2017
Wednesday, September 06, 2017This week is National Organ Donation week, and I have been crazy busy working!
That opening sentence alone speaks volumes about my life now as opposed to my life pre-transplant. This week I have 3 cake order (I had 2last week too), I went to volunteer with the organ donation team at my local hospital in my new role as ambassador helping with a sign up stand, I did two interviews with local press and sent quite a lot of emails to make it all work. It's only Wednesday!
This time 6 years ago, my life was completely different. I was on oxygen constantly, used a non-invasive ventilator, which may be non invasive but was a very unpleasant thing to use. I relied on everyone else to help me, from being pushed in a wheelchair, to administering constant doses of drugs, to helping me wash, dress, walk, talk. I was in constant pain and always breathless, I looked like a bag of bones even though I was fed by a tube down my nose into my stomach every night. That was just physically. Mentally I was a 20 year old having to face the fact I was going to die. Die without having accomplished anything I wanted. Without meeting my niece, without seeing my nephews grow up, without being able to chase my dreams, or hug my mum, or celebrate a birthday.
The fact that someone decided to go on the donor register and by a miracle of fate I was saved by that decision, isn't something I can fully comprehend. It's awe-inspiring, overwhelming, humbling, and a million other things. I can't cope with the fact that I got my call and so many friends didn't get there's, and we're lost into the 'what if' void. I grieve for them, and the lives unlived. I grieve for my donor and their life cut short. For their incredible family left behind. I wonder why I am still here. I strive to do my best to live for us all but that's a lot of pressure on anyone's shoulders.
Times are often very tough, lots of issues still remain. But I am alive. I can hug my mum, take my nephews out for dinner, scream when they hide and jump out on me. I can move forward, I'm not where I want to be but I'm in a pretty good place and I am unbelievably lucky to be here. Not everyone is.
Please please consider signing the register if you haven't. Please share this blog or any of my posts/tweets/news articles if you think it can convince someone. One person can utterly transform lives. I cannot tell you how desperate that long wait truly is. Give someone a chance, because I promise you, that's all they want.
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