Organ Donation Should Be Assumed Unless Otherwise Stated

I’ve been reading a couple of blogs lately that detail the struggles and triumphs of those affected with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

A few weeks ago, I came across an article in the Toronto Star that detailed a blog written by CF fighter Natalia Ritchie (pictured with her daughter, Scarlett). She not only writes about her disease and its effects on a personal level, but also about her new baby (born with a surrogate), so that her daughter would be able read about her mom if Natalia didn’t receive her new lungs, by way of a double lung transplant, in time. (During my reading, I’ve decided that, at some point in my life, I want to be a surrogate. I also wanted to give Natalia my lungs, but I didn’t really think that through…)

After reading only a couple of her posts, I was hooked on Natalia’s story of her trials and tribulations, her zest for life, and her unconditional love for her family. She has become a true inspiration to me because she lives her life so fully and is determined to fight this disease to the very end. It would be so easy for her to become depressed and give in to the pain, but she stays strong for her family, her daughter, and her husband.

Recently, Natalia had taken a turn for the worse and was admitted to ICU at Toronto General Hospital and, through her blog, her family and friends were updating Natalia’s “web supporters” about the different options that were available to keep Natalia alive.

Of course, the best possible option would be a double lung transplant. (One of the most inspiring things about Natalia is that, while she prayed that she would get healthy, she never once prayed for lungs, knowing full well that someone’s life would have to end in order for hers to continue. That is amazing – I would think that it’d be so easy to purely focus on the chance of new lungs and detach from the idea that a donor would have to die in order for her to receive those lungs).

On Saturday, I logged onto her blog (then being written by a family friend) to see that she had received the call that lungs were available. I didn’t think I could be so relieved for someone that I had never met. Since then, I’ve been logging on her site as much as possible for updates, and so far she is doing well. To think that she will actually get to be a mother to her daughter and have many more years with her husband as a result of organ donation is truly incredible.

I’ve always opted for organ donation, as have most members of my immediate family. The thing is, organ donation has never been front and centre with me because it has never affected me personally. This is not to say that Natalia’s story is in any way personal to me as I have never met her, but I’ve become invested in her journey and her health – her character and her journey has touched me so much that I now am determined to spread the word about organ donation.

I focus here on CF because of Natalia and Ronnie Sharpe - whose story and blog are truly inspiring for those with CF, and also for those without - but there are so many other diseases that people must endure and that can be cured or, if not, then lessened, by organ donation.

Both Natalia and Ronnie feel blessed by their disease because it has given them the opportunity to love life and change the lives of others through their optimism. I want to join in that attempt to change the lives of others by advocating organ donation. Let me ask you this: what are you going to do with your perfectly good organs if, God forbid, you die? You can’t use them anymore, so why not donate them to someone who can? Saving one life through the death of another is one of the most powerful gifts that can be given by a human being, and modern day science can make it happen if people take the time to sign their donor cards and/or express their wishes to loved ones.

While organ donation is a personal choice right now – it is not considered an option if people do not sign their donor cards or tell their families of their wishes to donate – it should be the assumed choice unless a person states otherwise. If a person is strongly opposed to organ donation, you can bet that they will make that known. Otherwise, with one person’s death, eight lives could be saved – this is reason enough for organ donation to be much more common than it is. I encourage everyone to visit these blogs and really get a sense of what organ donation can do for those with incurable diseases, to get to “know” Natalia and Ronnie, and to appreciate their journeys as they fight for their lives.

Love,

Bella

If you wish to be an organ donator, please visit this site to make it official.