Fewer than 1% of us will die in circumstances that mean we can go on to become organ donors; those deaths will usually have been sudden and have occurred after we have been taken into Intensive care by emergency services.
It means that our families will be in shock, suffering trauma, and already starting to grieve.
If families have already talked together to share their wishes about organ donation, then when Specialist Requester nurse Rebecca Shekyls or one of her colleagues gently ask whether organ donation is something we might have wanted, the people by the bedside will already know the answer.
John Rae, an Intensive Care Consultant at Raigmore, and Clinical Lead of the NHS Highland Organ Donation team, explains, “The possibility of organ donation only begins to be considered where there is no chance of the patient recovering.
“That’s when Rececca or her colleagues will become involved with the family.”
Talking of those difficult, careful conversations, Rebecca explains, “When I bring up organ donation in conversation, the reaction depends on the conversation families have had about it.
Families are sometimes conflicted when they don’t know what the patient would have wanted, so it’s so important to just talk about it with them.”
She adds, “If you do want to be an organ donor, it’s also important to register on the organ donor register. It can give families comfort to know that the person they loved took the time to register, and it helps strengthen their decision at a really difficult time for them.”
Although Scotland legally has an opt-out system for organ donation, in practice the family will always be asked for their consent. But unfortunately, the numbers of families giving consent has fallen sharply in the last few years, with only 60% saying ‘yes’.
“Unfortunately, people in Highland are dying every year because of a lack of suitable organs for donation,” explains John.
“They may die of lung disease, liver failure, heart disease or kidney failure. Or, indeed, a myriad of other conditions that they have developed during their lifetime. Some are children.”
He continues, “Hundreds of patients in Highland are currently on kidney dialysis, with 17 waiting for a new organ. One person can potentially save up to nine lives, and connective tissue, heart valves, skin, and cornea can be transplanted too.”
Talking of what happens after transplant, Rebecca reminds us, “When families agree to support their loved one’s decision to become an organ donor, they often later take great comfort in knowing they have managed to honour their loved one’s decision. I keep in touch with many donor families, and it brings comfort too, to know that their loved one’s organs have given the gift of life to someone else.”
John and Rececca find their work with organ donation to be immensely fulfilling. Helping others to live out of the tragedy of someone else’s death, is, they believe, an incredible privilege.
And as Rebecca says, “Who wouldn’t want to give hope out of tragedy?”