Organ & Tissue Donation Week 2024

National Organ and Tissue Donation Week 2024

In 2008, at 18 months old, my younger brother Blair had a life saving liver transplant after a very generous person chose to donate their organs when they passed away.
This person was not only able to save my brother’s life with their liver, but another older child as well. And most likely many other people too.

The Transplant

When someone donates their organs, they can save up to 8 people’s lives. And if they choose to donate their tissue as well, they could save up to another 75 lives.

It was this simple act of choosing to donate their organs changed my brother’s life, and in turn my whole family’s life. It’s the reason I have an amazing, healthy and still annoying little brother more than a decade on from his transplant.

Post-Transplant Life

Blair post-transplant at 18 months old

Fast forward 16 years to this summer, and my brother has just won gold in the badminton at the British Transplant Games for the 7th games in a row, as well as a gold in badminton at the European Transplant Games.

Along with gold in cycling time trial, 100m sprint, children 4x100m relay, adults 4x100m relay, and a bronze in the long jump, all competing for his hospital King’s College London.

Needless to say I am very proud of him.

First and last badminton gold in the Juniors section, 2016 & 2024

The Transplant Games Community

My family has been attending the British Transplant Games every year since 2016, with a slight break during Covid. And it was here that we got to meet so many other people and families who’s lives had been saved and changed by organ donations.

I first met my close friend George at the British Transplant Games in 2019, he had a life saving kidney transplant at age 4. However in his case, instead of someone donating their kidney when they passed away, it was George’s dad who was a living donor.

This was possible as George’s dad was an exact match in blood type and various other factors to George. Now 21, George also competed in the British Transplant Games this year, winning gold in the cycling road race, silver in the cycling time trial and bronze in his swimming event. There is a great link at the bottom of this article to find out more about living donation.

30 Years of Organ Donation Register - Are you on the list?

This Organ and Tissue Donation Week, 23rd to 29th of September, marks 30 years of Scotland’s Organ Donor Register, and now more than 50% of Scotland’s population are registered organ donors.

Scotland’s Organ and Tissue Donor Register operates with the Opt Out system, meaning everyone has the choice if they would like to donate their organs and tissue when they pass away or not. However, just registering as an organ and tissue donor is sometimes not enough as families and loved ones can still over turn your decision.

This is why it is so important to talk about your choices with your family and loved ones, as 9 out of 10 families will support your choice to be an organ and tissue donor if you have discussed and confirmed your decision with them.

Of course not everyone will want to donate all their organs, or even any of them, and if this is your choice then that will always be respected. All you need to do is opt out of being on the Organ and Tissue Donor Register, and you do not have to share or disclose your reasons for not wishing to donate.

A way of thinking to help your choices, is if you were in of need an organ or tissue transplant, would you be in a position to and want to receive the organ or tissue.

Talk about Organ Donation

This Organ and Tissue Donation Week, ECSA, Organ Donation Scotland, NHS Organ Donation, Kidney Research UK and many other charities encourage you to think about and share your choices with your family and loved ones, and to help get your own family and loved ones discussing their choices.

In the UK over 7000 people are currently waiting on a lifesaving organ transplant, with over 600 being in Scotland alone. By talking about your choices and registering your decision, you can help to change people’s lives.