Make organ donation your New Year’s resolution
Public Health Minister Maureen Watt today issued a call for everyone to consider making joining the Organ Donor Register their new year’s resolution for 2016. Continue reading A second chance at life: ‘The greatest gift of all’
A new, updated version of the NHS Organ Donor Register was officially launched across the UK yesterday, extending the choices a person has about their organ donation wishes.
As well as being able to record a decision to be an organ donor, the new Register will now, for the first time, enable people in Scotland to record their choice not to be an organ donor .
Existing registrations from the old NHS Organ Donor Register have been transferred to the new Register by NHS Blood and Transplant.
Public Health Minister, Maureen Watt, said: “The new NHS Organ Donor Register provides a more modern system which extends the choices people can make.
“Whether you choose to be an organ donor or would like the NHS to know your decision not to be one, I would encourage everyone to take some time to think carefully about the important issue of organ donation and make your wishes known through the new Register.
“However it is also vitally important that people make their wishes known to family and friends so that those wishes can be honoured in the event of a loved one’s death.
“While joining the Register is important, two thirds of people who donated their organs in the last five years weren’t on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Families who are aware of their loved one’s organ donation wishes are twice as likely to say ‘yes’ to donating their organs.
“If you register without telling the people closest to you, it may come as a surprise to them. Knowing organ donation is what you would have wanted could make their decision a lot easier to live with at a time when they are trying to deal with their loss.
“Therefore the new Register provides an ideal opportunity for people across Scotland to make sure their choices are up-to-date and to talk to family and friends about their decision to donate.”
41 per cent of Scots are now on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
To find out more about organ donation and to join the new NHS Organ Donor Register, visit www.organdonationscotland.org
Scottish Government appeal to black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to donate
The Scottish Government is encouraging the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to consider organ donation. Only one per cent of Scots on the NHS Organ Donor Register are from the BME communities, but around 8% of people on the organ donation waiting list are from that group.
Nearly 400 people from black, asian and minority ethnic communities in Scotland have signed the NHS Organ Donor Register over the last year, as part of a drive funded by the Scottish Government.
The initiative, run by Kidney Research UK, was set up last year to address the chronic shortage of organ donors from these communities and the Scottish Government has announced it will commit £22,000 to fund the project for another year.
Kidney Research UK have recruited peer-educators to speak to people about organ donation in locations such as Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) , Mandirs (Hindu temples) and the annual Mela festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
It is also working with the Muslim community through engagement with the Muslim Council of Scotland.
On Sunday, the team was present at the Glasgow Mela in Kelvingrove Park to talk to people about organ donation and encourage them to consider becoming an organ donor.
Over 2 million people in Scotland have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register, but only around 2000 people are from black, asian and minority ethnic communities.
Kidney failure is up to five times more common in people from black, asian and minority ethnic communities, with South Asian people with diabetes ten times more likely to suffer from kidney failure than white people.
Public Health Minister, Maureen Watt, said: “In Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, the shortage of donors from black, asian and minority ethnic communities is a real issue, so it’s vital we continue to engage with people to explore the beliefs that can act as a barrier to donation.
“The peer educator programme has so far been extremely successful, but we want to go further and train up more peer educators to talk to communities about organ donation.
“Just over one per cent of Scots on the NHS Organ Donor Register are from black, asian and minority ethnic communities, but this group account for nearly 8 per cent of people waiting on a transplant. Crucially, there is a much greater success rate when transplants are carried out within the same ethnic group.
“Of course, it’s an individual choice, but we want to ensure people have the right information to make an informed decision and that’s why education and projects like this are vitally important.”
Kidney Research UK’s Peer Educators have been trained to talk to their communities about kidney health and the risk of kidney disease, working closely with individuals, families, community groups and faith groups.
They offer practical help and advice, explaining the reasons for the increased risk and suggesting lifestyle changes that could help to prevent disease.
They also challenge some of the myths surrounding organ donation, and highlight the shortage of compatible donors in their communities.
Neerja Jain, Kidney Research UK’s Health Improvement Project Manager, said: “The passion of our Peer Educators is really helping to move this work forward considerably. Their amazing drive, enthusiasm and physical and mental energy is truly amazing. As volunteers, what they do, is really making a difference.”
Further information on BAME organ donation and transplantation is available at www.organdonationscotland.org
Scotland ‘making excellent progress’
The number of people waiting for a transplant has fallen to its lowest level since 2006, a report detailing Scotland’s organ donation record has shown. The average number of people waiting for a transplant has fallen by a quarter in the last seven years – from 793 in 2006/7 to 595 in 2013/14.
The figures, detailed in a ‘report card’ published this week by the Scottish Government, shows marked improvement in nearly all areas of the organ donation process – with donor and transplant numbers up significantly in the last few years.
This is the first time the Scottish Government has published a report card on NHS performance in this area and it is to be widely distributed to staff and patients across the country annually.
It fulfils a commitment made in the Scottish Government’s A Donation and Transplantation Plan for Scotland 2013 – 2020, to publish an annual report card on four or five key national measures on organ donation and transplantation.
The report shows that the number of living and deceased donors rose by almost 60 per cent between 2011/12 and 2013/14 and, over the same period, the number of transplants from living and deceased donors rose from 345 in a year to 425 in a year.
In addition the number of patients referred to the organ donation service has more than doubled in the last three years, meaning more patients who have expressed a wish to donate their organs after death have had those wishes honoured.
Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: “Over the last few years we have made important strides in raising awareness of the importance of organ donation in Scotland and we have been encouraging more and more people to make their wishes known to friends and family.
“We want Scotland to be amongst the best performing countries in the world for donation and transplantation, and this year’s report shows we are continuing to make excellent progress towards this goal.
“This is thanks to every donor and every donor’s family who have demonstrated such compassion and generosity in the face of tragic and difficult circumstances. It is also testament to the work of staff across the NHS in Scotland who work tirelessly to ensure that people’s organ donation wishes are respected and that every donation counts.”
The publication also highlights the need to increase the number of families who agree for donation to go ahead – which has seen a gradual rise from 57.1 per cent in 2010/11 to 61.6 per cent in 2013/14. Around 90 more lives each year could be saved if this figure rose to 80 per cent.
Mr Matheson added: “This year our public campaign focuses on encouraging people to talk to their friends and family about their decision to donate. Letting those closest to you know your decision makes it easier for them to honour your wishes if they ever need to.”
To register or find out more visit www.organdonationscotland.org or telephone 0300 123 2323
Organ Donation Scotland campaign launched
Up to a hundred more lives could be saved each year if family authorisation rates for organ donation increase. The figure was revealed to coincide with the launch of the Organ Donation Scotland campaign, which is encouraging Scots to make their organ donation wishes known.
Sharing organ donation wishes remains fundamental to relatives honouring a loved one’s choices in the event of their death – and the campaign is urging people who have made the positive decision to be an organ donor to talk it through with their family.
Since 2010/11, the family authorisation rate for organ donation – when a family member agrees that donation can proceed – has increased from 57.1 per cent to 61.6 per cent. If the rate was to further increase to 80 per cent, around 90 more lives could be saved each year.
Transplant recipient Bob James, 61, who is approaching the one-year anniversary of his successful liver transplant, met with Public Health Minister Michael Matheson to share his story.
The retired fire-fighter has been able to return to the full time volunteering role he loves at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, thanks to the special gift that saved his life.
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said: “Bob’s story shows how transplantation can transform lives. That is why we’re encouraging people who have made the decision to be an organ donor to share their wishes with loved ones.
“We want Scotland to be amongst the best performing countries in the world for donation and transplantation and huge progress is being made, with a 62 per cent increase in transplants since 2007/8 and over 41 per cent of Scots now on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
“It’s encouraging to note that the number of people waiting for a transplant has fallen to the lowest level we have seen in years, however with around 550 people in Scotland still waiting for a life-saving transplant, its important people are aware of why talking about organ donation and joining the register could save lives.”
Bob, from Lennoxtown, had his liver transplant in November 2013 after doctors told him his liver was failing. Unbeknown to Bob, he had an underlying genetic condition, haemochromatosis, which went undiagnosed as his liver function was masked by another existing condition, Gilbert’s Syndrome.
Bob said: “The Christmas before the transplant I started to feel very unwell, and my GP immediately referred me to Stobhill Hospital where tests showed there were problems with my liver. I couldn’t believe it. I remember thinking it was ironic that I had liver problems as I’m practically teetotal, but I didn’t know at this point I had haemochromatosis.”
Bob was put on medication and continued with life, but over the next ten months his health slowly deteriorated.
He said: “I felt pretty bad. I was getting slower and slower, the smallest things felt like a real effort. I’d lost enthusiasm for everything and my quality of life was rapidly going downhill. I just thought I was getting old, I’d no idea how serious it was.”
Bob was referred to the Transplant Unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and after a series of tests he was told that he needed to be put on the waiting list for a liver transplant. Whilst getting his head around the news, Bob received the call that a suitable donor liver had been found, just 48 hours after being listed for transplant.
He said: “I had no idea it was going to happen so quickly; the day before I’d been working at the Museum. Nine hours after I got the call, I was at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh prepped and ready for a transplant. Within two days I came round in the high dependency ward with almost no pain and feeling overall, pretty well. Looking back, it really was quite remarkable.
“I’ve been amazed at the speed of my recovery. Now the haemochromatosis has been diagnosed, it’s being managed and I’m back doing what I love, volunteering five days a week at the museum. I feel better than ever.
“I do know I’ve been remarkably lucky and will always be eternally grateful to the person who saved my life by making the decision to donate their organs. People talk about fire fighters being brave, but in my eyes, that person was braver than any fire fighter. Without them making that decision, I might not be here today.
“I’d urge anyone who wants to be an organ donor to share their wishes with family members. It’s so important. For me, it’s meant me getting my life back and I intend to live it to the full.”
Edinburgh North & Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz is calling on local people to make their views known on organ donation.
Mr Lazarowicz attended a public consultation in Leith on Labour MSP Anne McTaggart’s draft Bill in the Scottish Parliament which would introduce a new opt-out system of organ donation in Scotland, and he is now urging constituents to contribute to the consultation on the Bill which lasts until 25th September.
Under the Bill, in the event of someone’s death it would be presumed that the person consented to the use of their organs for transplant unless they had expressly stated otherwise or their family knew of an objection.
Mark Lazarowicz said: “I congratulate Anne McTaggart on her initiative and and I urge people in Edinburgh North and Leith to contribute their views to the consultation so that it can be properly debated and achieve its purpose in giving more people the chance of an organ transplant.
“Under the current opt-in system around 40% of Scots are on the organ donor register and this sign of quiet concern for others is something to be proud of – but that still leaves well over 600 people anxiously waiting for a transplant each year.”
Details of the Bill and public consultation including how to contribute can be found at
http://www.annemctaggart.co.uk/organ-donation-bill-consultation-launched
Last year the Welsh Government introduced a Bill to introduce an opt-out system which became law with the new system to become operational from 1st December 2015. It was influenced by evidence that suggested that an opt-out system could increase the number of organ donors by 25 – 30%.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland, the British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland and the British Liver Trust have all called for Scotland to follow suit.
A new memorial for Scottish organ and tissue donors is to be situated in Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden. The memorial will be designed as a lasting tribute to Scottish organ and tissue donors who generously made the decision to donate their organs after their death so that others might live.
The memorial will allow the families of donors, transplant recipients and others whose lives have been touched by donation or transplantation a place for quiet contemplation and to celebrate the kindness of giving and sharing.
The artist appointed to carry out this task is Alec Finlay. Scottish born Alec is an internationally acclaimed artist who is currently based in Edinburgh. His work reflects on human interaction with the natural environment.
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said: “We are delighted to have an artist of Alec’s calibre and reputation involved in the creation of this memorial. We are also very grateful to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for their support and for giving us a home for this project.
“Through the selfless generosity of organ donors and their families, who at a time of great tragedy honour their loved-ones wishes, many lives are saved and transplant recipients go on to lead full and active lives. It is right and fitting that we should acknowledge the gift that is given through organ donation with a public memorial.”
Artist Alec Finlay said: “I really wanted to be involved in this project, there is no better task for an artist or poet than to respond to complex and deep emotions, which this memorial is bound to bring up. It will be challenging, of course, because you are dealing with people’s experiences.
“I remember something the writer Jenny Diski said about weakness being a part of life. Illness, loss and death, we all need to come to terms with these. But when it comes to organ donation, this takes on a specific intensity because in our time, and never before, we have evolved through medical possibility. There is a relationship between life and death through the gifting of organs. It’s a remarkable thing and yet it exists within a health system that belongs to all of us in Scotland.
“No one involved in organ donation thinks this is a simple concept but it is a reminder that we are all connected to one another, and that we can, potentially, help one another.”
Donor families, transplant recipients and healthcare professionals are working closely with Alec Finlay and also with experts from the art world to develop this beautiful and lasting tribute to Scottish organ and tissue donors. It will be a living memorial which will involve planting and landscaping that will fit perfectly into the beautiful surroundings of the Garden.
Organ and tissue transplantation touches the lives of young and old and the memorial will recognise this. Importantly, it will also reflect the themes and values of organ donation and transplantation such as generosity, sensitivity, thoughtfulness and the giving of the gift of life.
Director of Horticulture at RBGE Dr David Rae said: “The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is proud to host this memorial and the exact location has been chosen jointly by Garden staff, the artist Alec Finlay, and representatives of donors and recipients. It is a quiet, tranquil site surrounded by Scottish native species. We are sure that the artwork and its location will create a sensitive and inspiring memorial for all those affected by transplantation and donation and are pleased that the whole project has developed in a truly collaborative way involving all concerned.”
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh was chosen as a home for the memorial because of the beauty and tranquillity of the surroundings and because of its world-wide reputation as a base for contemporary art.
A working group has been established for the memorial made up of those who have donated loved one’s organs and those who have received organs.
Sandra Warden donated her 11-year-old daughter Rachel’s organs, saving three lives, she explained: “Having a national memorial to recognise and remember all those who, in death were able to give the greatest gift of all – that of life – is very important.
“I hope it will make people think about organ donation and discuss with their loved ones what they would like them do if anything ever happened to them. From when she was very young Rachel understood organ donation and made me promise we would donate her organs if anything ever happened to her and we fulfilled her wishes.”
Gill Hollis, who is the recipient of a lung transplant and also on the working group, said: “The national organ donation memorial is very important to me. My transplant anniversary is now more important than my real birthday and I try to make the most of every day, not just for me and my family, but also for the person whose life saved mine.
“It’s impossible to thank my donor enough for the gift they gave me, but I’m really looking forward to having a place that recognises and remembers them.”
Campaign launched to make organ donation wishes known
Two-thirds of organ donors were not on register
Almost two-thirds of organ donors in Scotland over the past five years were not on the organ donor register at the time of their death, according to new figures.
The statistics showing that 62 per cent of donors were not on the NHS Organ Donor Register have been revealed to coincide with the launch of a campaign to encourage more Scots to make their organ donation wishes known.
Over forty per cent of Scots are already on the register, but the campaign is also aiming to increase the number of people signed up to donate their organs.
Mum-of-one, Jill Polanski, whose husband Matt’s life was cut tragically short after a motorbike accident in August, has given her backing to the campaign.
Jill is proud that she was able to honour Matt’s wishes to be an organ donor – a hugely difficult decision that was made easier by a chat they’d had three years earlier.
The television and radio campaign has been designed to encourage people to have a ‘wee chat’ with their family to make their wishes known, and to sign up to the register.
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson met Jill and her 13-year-old daughter Bethany to learn about their story.
He said: “I am incredibly thankful to Jill and Bethany for sharing their story, and for helping to highlight how important it is for you to share your wishes with your loved ones.
“In Matt’s case, this discussion meant that Jill was able to make the decision to donate his organs, and this meant that he was able to save four lives.
“Matt and Jill’s story is a very real example of how important organ donation is, and how joining the register could save lives.
“This campaign has two simple yet equally important messages – join the register and have a chat about organ donation with your family and loved ones.
“The reality is that more than 600 people in Scotland are waiting for a life-saving transplant and across the UK three people die every day because they don’t get the organ they need in time.
“That 41 per cent of Scots are now on the Register – higher than the UK average of 31 per cent – shows we are on the right track.”
Three months on from the accident, Matt’s family are sharing their experience in a bid to get people talking about organ donation.
Matt was just 30 when he came off his bike at Knockhill. A seasoned and talented rider, Matt had weathered countless injuries through his love of racing and riding in general. However that day, Matt succumbed to a serious head injury, leaving his wife, daughter, family and the racing community devastated.
Motorbikes run through the heart of the Polanski family, with Matt, Jill and their daughter Bethany all regulars at the Knockhill Circuit.
Jill said: “When the accident happened, I was in the pit lane with our daughter Bethany who was warming up to race that day as well. As soon as I heard they’d sent for an air ambulance, I knew how serious it was.”
Matt was initially treated by the Knockhill medics before being admitted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Jill, 32, from Cardenden, said: “Matt was in A&E, going through the handover when we arrived at the hospital. I was informed of how serious Matt’s condition was and I just kept asking to see his helmet, over and over again. I knew it would show how bad things were. When I saw it, I knew that was it. That it was over.
“The neuro-surgeon then broke the news that the bleeding and trauma to Matt’s head was so massive, that he’d gone.”
Jill and Bethany, surrounded by Matt’s family and friends, were approached about organ donation.
Jill said: “I remember feeling very numb as the accident had only happened about three hours beforehand. But I knew Matt’s wishes and agreed instantly to donate all his organs, apart from his eyes. His family just looked at me, but I was able to tell them that I knew that’s what he wanted.”
Jill and Matt had first discussed organ donation when Matt was renewing the photo on his driving licence.
Jill said: “I trained as a dispensing optician and have a medical science background so I knew how important organ donation was. A close family member of Matt’s has one kidney, so my view was very much that if anything happened to that kidney, he would rely on someone else giving one up.
“I clearly remember the discussion, and Matt saying he would have no objections for that very reason. He’d made the decision, all I had to do was honour it.”
Jill went through all the authorisation forms with Matt’s mum and dad as it was important to her that they were part of the decision. Jill and Bethany kept vigil beside Matt’s bed, refusing to leave him until the last possible moment when he was taken to theatre.
Jill said: “Bethany was struggling at this point, so I asked my best friend to talk things through with her. When I went outside to explain that recipients and their families would be making their way to hospital, Bethany hit me with the incredibly grown up statement that even though her Daddy was gone, because of his decision, some other little girl could still have her daddy tomorrow.
“The way she handled things helped me find peace and cope with those last few difficult hours.”
Matt’s heart saved the life of a woman, his liver went to a man, his kidney and pancreas to a woman and a teenage boy received his kidney.
Jill said: “It was one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to do, but I’m so grateful that something positive has come out of Matt’s death. I can see it from the recipients’ point of view and how they must feel knowing someone died to help them, but I’m planning to write to them down the line to let them know the comfort it has brought us as a family.
“I’ll never forget the care and kindness shown by the staff in A&E and intensive care unit at Ninewells. The team looking after us were so patient, answering my unending questions. They were there for us every step of the way.”
Jill said: “Motorcycling is dangerous and we knew how precious life was. I’m just glad we took time to talk about what Matt’s wishes were and I’d encourage anyone to do the same, as with hindsight, it helped during that unbearable 24 hours. People have even come up to me and said they’ve joined the NHS Organ Donor Register as a result of Matt’s death.
“Although Matt was taken from us too soon, he certainly lived his life to the full and I’m a better, more rounded and accomplished person for knowing him.”
You can Join the NHS Organ Donor Register by visiting
or by texting LIFE TO 61611.
A new organ donation pilot programme is to be launched in NHS Lothian, it was announced yesterday.
The pilot will ensure that people who cannot be resuscitated after suffering a cardiac arrest in the community and who have previously expressed a wish to donate their organs in the event of their death, will have that wish respected.
The pilot will run in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where emergency medicine clinicians and the Scottish Ambulance Service practice the most advanced resuscitation techniques. As a result many more people who have suffered a cardiac arrest in the community are now making a good recovery.
Should the resuscitative measures prove unsuccessful, a decision will be made by two doctors that further treatment would no longer be in the best interests of the patient. End of life options (including organ donation) will then be discussed with the family.
Previously organ donation was not possible in these circumstances, even if the patient had made it clear that they wished to be an organ donor. The resuscitation process will continue to be run entirely by the emergency department based on their current policies and is totally separate from any consideration of organ donation.
Minister for Public Health, Michael Matheson said: “We welcome the fact that more people who experience a cardiac arrest at home or in the community are now surviving due to the introduction of modern resuscitation techniques by the emergency department clinicians and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
“However when all attempts at resuscitation in hospital have been unsuccessful it can be a source of comfort to the family to be able to respect the wishes of their loved ones who have made their organ donation wishes known by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register. This pilot programme is about doing this.”
Dr Matt Reed, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh said: “We have an ongoing programme of improving the management of patients who have had a cardiac arrest in the community. The modern resuscitation techniques practiced by the Emergency Department in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the Scottish Ambulance Service in the South East of Scotland have seen survival rates for these patients improve dramatically and many more patients are now going on to make a good recovery.
“Unfortunately however, there are some patients who do not survive despite every attempt to save them. Many of those people will have expressed a wish to be an organ donor by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register in the expectation that their wishes be respected in the event of their death. This pilot will allow their wishes to be acted upon.”
Dr Jean Turner, Executive Director, Scotland Patients Association said: “Scotland Patients Association(SPA) welcomes this pilot which offers patients and their relatives the utmost assurance for the best outcomes from resuscitation with consideration and respect when organ donation may become an option for them.”
The pilot relates to adults aged 16-60 who have a witnessed cardiac arrest and who have expressed a wish to donate organs and/or tissues after their death. In its initial stages it will operate between the hours of 9-5 on weekdays.
Families will continue to be consulted on the proposed donation of their loved one’s organs.
Lothian is leading the way in Scotland in terms of population signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register (just under 50% of the population). There are currently more than two million Scots on the NHS Organ Donor Register – over 41 per cent of the population which is the highest in the UK. The UK average is 31 per cent (October 2012).
In 2011/12 there were 346 transplants in Scotland. The majority of people on the transplant list are waiting on kidney transplants – 514 people.
NHS Blood and Transplant research found that 96 percent of people would take an organ if they needed one, but only 41 per cent of Scots have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register.
You can join the NHS Organ Donor Register by visiting the Organ Donation Scotland website or by texting LIFE TO 61611.
Scots are being urged to make it their New Year’s resolution to become a organ donor. The Scottish Government is calling on more Scots to join the NHS Organ Donor Register in 2013 to build on the milestone of having 40 per cent of Scots on the Register – the highest percentage in the UK.
The call is backed by transplant patient Kirsten Harrold, aged 43, from Portobello.
Kirsten was diagnosed with kidney failure at the age 16 but a New Year’s gift of a transplant on January 1, 1990 not only give her back her life, but allowed her to go on to be a mum of four healthy kids.
Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: “I don’t think there is a better New Year’s resolution than to become a potential life saver by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.
“We know the festive season is an important time for people to spend with family and friends, but I’d like people to spare a thought for the Scots who are waiting for an organ, hoping that they get to spend another Christmas with their families and loved ones.
“For them, the most admirable New Year’s resolution would be for more people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register. Stories like Kirsten’s show the incredible impact organ donation can have on not just one person, but a whole family. Simply letting your loved ones know your wishes about organ donation could make all the difference to those desperately waiting.“
Since receiving her kidney transplant, Kirsten has had normal kidney function and is leading a full and busy life, raising her children Peter, 13, Matthew, 8 and twin girls Charis and Gracie, aged five.
Explaining how her illness affected her from a young age, Kirsten explained, “I was unwell for a while before I was diagnosed, feeling really tired, fainting regularly and suffering from headaches. I’d been back and forward to the GP, but by the time I reached 16, I weighed around five stone and was really ill. After having bloods taken, I was admitted to hospital immediately.”
Kirsten suffer from kidney failure as a result of a condition which meant she couldn’t keep salts or minerals in her body. The fainting was due to dehydration and Kirsten spent the week in hospital where she was stabilised, put on medication and told to maintain a low protein diet.
Kirsten said, “Although I looked after myself, when I was around 18, the medication wasn’t enough and I was put on dialysis. Because I was so young, I was quite naïve about it all and didn’t realise what being on dialysis meant, or how serious it was. At this time I was also assessed for going on the transplant list.”
Visiting the hospital three times a week, for up to two and a half hours of dialysis per session, Kirsten’s condition started to take its toll, “I was on dialysis for around 18 months which had huge implications for my family as my dad had to take me to and from the hospital. As a dialysis patient I was quite well, but compared to any normal 18 year old, I was really pretty ill.”
The call to say a suitable kidney had been found came on Hogmanay in 1989 whilst Kirsten, aged 20, was celebrating the turn of the year with friends. Twenty four hours later, on the first of January, Kirsten’s life had been changed forever.
She explained, “Everything went really well with the transplant and my recovery. It was amazing, I didn’t know how ill I was until I felt better.”
In the July of that year, Kirsten met her partner Pete and as the years passed the pair started to look to the future and the possibility of kids.
“Having a child wasn’t a decision we took lightly. By my late twenties, my transplant was well established and there were no problems, but obviously due to the medication I was on and the pressure a pregnancy would put on my body, it takes a bit of thinking through.”
Kirsten attended pre-pregnancy counselling where she found out more about the risks and what would happen with her medication if she became pregnant.
After a textbook pregnancy, Peter was born by caesarean section and Matthew, Kirsten’s second son was born four years later.
As Kirsten’s experience of pregnancy had been so positive, and she was keeping well with healthy creatinine levels, they decided to try for a third baby – and got the news it was twins. They welcomed identical twin girls Charis and Gracie into the world in August 2007.
“Being a mum and being able to do all the mum things like breastfeeding was amazing.”
Almost twenty three years on from her transplant, Kirsten is under no illusion that she wouldn’t be enjoying the life she has if it wasn’t for the decision made by her donor and is still so grateful.
She said, “What do you say to someone that has made that decision? It’s not just my life it has changed, it changed the lives of my family and gave me the chance to have a family of my own. If I’d still been on dialysis, I wouldn’t have been able to sustain four pregnancies or be fit and well to raise small children.
“My transplant allowed me to make decisions and choices that everyone else takes for granted, such as working full-time and having kids. We’re a really active family and my kids wouldn’t be leading the full lives they have if it wasn’t for my transplant and my excellent kidney function.
“It’s not just the recipient that benefits from the NHS Organ Donor Register, it’s everyone around them which is why it’s so important that people sign up to help those waiting. I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity to have this life and my family. I always will be.”
Scotland reached the milestone of having 40 per cent of the population on Register earlier this year.
In Scotland, there are around 600 people needing a life-saving transplant.
In October this year, the Scottish Government launched a campaign designed to get people talking about organ donation, to make their wishes known to their loved ones and to join the Register.
Join the NHS Organ Donor Register by visiting the Organ Donation Scotland website.
