There are nearly 6,000 people requiring an organ transplant in Britain right now. Some will only wait months, but many have years of waiting (and suffering) to endure. Earlier this year, one young woman thought that her waiting was over. She heard that the liver that could save her life was on board a light aircraft flying from Birmingham. It never reached Edinburgh Airport. Just after midnight, the plane ditched in 20 feet of freezing water in the Forth Estuary after its engine failed. The two-man crew swam ashore and raised the alarm. Three Royal Navy divers were called in. And recovered the airtight container holding the valuable cargo. Thankfully, it was still transplantable. And after a six-hour operation, the patient was doing well. (And continues to do so today.) It’s a remarkable story of an extraordinary effort. It’s also a dramatic illustration of just how precious every organ is. And why it is vital that as many people as possible carry a donor card. Quite simply, the more that do so, the more chance there is of bringing relief, and very often the promise of life itself, to many thousands of people. A donor card is the surest signal that you’d like to help someone else after you die. Pick one up at any chemist, doctor’s surgery, hospital
or health centre. Fill it in. (You can specify what you do or don’t want
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to donate.) And make sure you tell your 1/
family about your wishes. Then, carry your
Let your relatives know your wishes.
the less searching we have to do, the better. IT’S A VITAL SIGN.
CHEMISTS, DOCTORS’ SURGERIES, HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CENTRES.