Up The Farway Tree

Birthdays and Organ Donation Talks

Seems to have been a busy few weeks for organ donation work - and people will no doubt have read the great news this week that donations have increased by 50% in the last 5 years.  This is largely due to the amazing work of donor coordinators working in hospitals.  These nurses are independent of the transplant team and are able to speak with families in a sensitive manner about the idea of donation.  Allowing families this opportunity has led to a marked increase in those agreeing to donation.  To increase this even further, we do still need people to sign up and make the decision even easier for their loves ones.  I am actually not pro opt-out (being introduced in Wales) because I do think that removing this choice could paradoxically increase the number of relatives refusing.   There are many changes to infrastructure and management of organ donation that can make a huge difference, all of these issues currently being tackled by the organ donor task force.  Finally though, from the recipient perspective, it is important for me to know that my donor gifted these lungs to me and that her family agreed.  I would not like to think that they had been just taken, as it is not my right to receive them.  It is an honour!

I helped out some media students last week, who were creating a short film about organ donation as part of their module.  Victoria was planning to meet them for a video interview but unfortunately became unwell with the 'flu virus, so I stepped in at the last minute.  They filmed me answering various questions on the topic and will be editing this within the next couple of weeks.  I will get to see the final project but whether I share it will be dependant on how cringe worthy I am!!  I also met with another student doing a masters in Design who is completing a project and dissertation around organ donation - with more emphasis on the link between recipient and donor/donor family.  It sounds a fascinating topic and I look forward to seeing the final work when it will be on show at the art school.   I have two upcoming talks  - one with George Heriot School and another with at the Regional Collaborative Meeting (main people involved with organ donation in Scotland).  It is all rather fitting given my 5th transplant anniversary will be on the 25th of this month.....although after that I think I might not want to talk about it for a wee while!!

On a lighter note it was my birthday last week and I was 34 years young!   I had a lovely day :-)  I did have to go to work in the morning but I left at lunch time and went into town to meet Andrew for a wee lunch.  Then mum and dad came in the afternoon and brought dinner and cake!  I got lots of lovely gifts with a dominant theme of animals, mainly owls haha!  There are so many owl themed gifts in the shops just now that I now have a wide selection of owl products ;-)   

Panda card from andrew!!

New shoes!

Hotty Hooty (for microwave ;-))

Owl things

Cake!

Seb eating my nose!

The last few weeks have also been nice and dry, so Seb has been on lots of long walks at the park or river.   Seeing him running around like a fluffy mad thing does make it very worth while!

After his bath!