Organ Donation

 

 

 

Lynn and I had agreed that if circumstances were such, we would both wish to be organ donors.  Given the nature of Lynn's catastrophic stroke, it very quickly became clear that organ donation was now the path to follow.  The preparations require a great deal of time and effort from the nurse specialist coordinators and this helped enormously in providing a structure.  My Eulogy highlights the wonderful care so generously given by all looking after Lynn and me.  There was plenty of quality time to be with Lynn, taking some solace from how restful she seemed, and being able to say my goodbyes.  Organ donation also meant that I didn’t have to take or consent to that final decision to turn off life support.

 

The continuing quality of care is astonishing, with the nurse specialist writing to let me know what had happened to Lynn’s organs.  There is such sensitivity in handling the correspondence.  A letter of commiserations and thanks covers a second sealed letter which is then for the relative to open whenever seems best.  At the hospital I had been told that Lynn’s heart was not suitable for donation but four recipients have been given life enhancing opportunities: two people have each received a kidney, one person the liver, and another person the lungs. 

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