‘Em’s on GMTV’ a text from Stepson Two and Gorgeous Girlf tells us. Em is Gorgeous Girlf’s eldest sister. Blonde, bright, articulate and vivacious, Em, sitting on the sofa chatting to Penny Smith might be there to promote her latest film or talk about her current book. But Em’s story is far more remarkable. Three years ago the damage to Em’s lungs caused by Cystic Fibrosis was such that only a lung transplant could save her life. The family, as Em’s other sister writes so movingly in her blog, were sat down by doctors and told to say their goodbyes.
Em’s story ended happily because in January 2007, the lungs became available that enabled her to have a transplant, become well and lead a full, happy life. Oh, hang on, ‘the lungs became available’- yes, another family put aside their own grief and turmoil so that a stranger could live. Lots of heartache and difficult decisions. Em and others have worked hard to address those issues and give a voice to those affected by transplant through ‘Live Life Then Give Life’, a registered charity set up to raise awareness of organ donation and the chronic shortage of organ donors in the UK. Today, Em is talking about what the shortage of people on the Organ Donor Register means to one person in particular, her friend Jess. Jess is currently in hospital, her lungs are failing and only a vital transplant can save her life. Until more people are prepared to consider organ donation, the clock is ticking for Jess and others like her.
Since last week we’ve caught up with my cousin and his family, we’ve had Ma to stay (I’ve been very brave and given her FTT to read, complete, unexpurgated and including the bit with the Vigorous Horizontal Romp –eeek!), we’ve helped Rose and Si move into their lovely new home, we’ve seen my sister and her family, Tom’s brother and his family, visited Stepson One in his flat, been to the beach with Stepson Two and Gorgeous Girlf, stayed with Mil and Dil (and brought them back with us on a kind of return-one-bring-two-back basis) and had tea with Lily on the way down and on the way home. We didn’t get to see friends in the south but, hey, everything being equal there’s always another weekend when I can catch up with them. For Jess, in her hospital bed, that may not be true.
Cardiff Half Marathon
Runner’s World SmartCoach Programme week 12 – 14 miles. 4 miles lost due to travelling and bad back combo.
Comments
Husband and I have agreed that they can have whatever they want from our bodies. (Will they want anything?) We've agreed it while not distraught in the hope that we remember, you know, should we need to...
Sorry, as you can tell, this is one of my soapbox rants too, and I have worked also, quietly, behind the scenes, to get things changed about the system of organ donation.. and despite the generosity of words from MPs and the likes, it's still in a mess.
As always, you've written a fine post.
This one has a wonderful theme, as does PFG's comment.
I've got some thinking to do now.
xo
Sorry to hear about your bad back - mine too. Very annoying. I watched a bit of the GNR at the weekend, but had to switch off. Too scary!
Your week sounds hectic, to say the least.
And how come you can fit so much into your days? Have you got elasticated time or something?!!
We all carry donor cards and are all aware of each other's wishes. With G now looking as though a cornea transplant is the only way to restore his sight we are acutely aware of the need for folk to make their wishes known.
If anyone can carry a donor card please please do.
Great post Chris.
CKx
You have been busy with a lot of family stuff lately. You remind me of me! :)
What a hectic week you've had Chris - it must be good to catch up with everyone though.
Jeanne x
On a lighter note, can I just say how very much I'm looking forward to reading FTT - even more so now I know there's a vigorous horizontal romp episode (and not just so I can read it imagining your Ma's avid expression and eagerness to find out What Happens Next. So much looking forward to hearing about her feedback).
Hope bad back is now a thing of the past and you're up and running once more.
xx
Em's story and Jess's too bring the reality of organ donation home - a thoroughly worthwhile and simple thing to do. I signed up a few weeks ago and my 'card' arrived this week. I suppose it's something that'll only be any good if I'm dead - which brought me down to earth with a bit of a thump. But then I'm not going to want any bits of me then am I?
JJ... no writing at all. Fingers crossed I will start again soon.
PFG, hopefully you will have read my comment on yours. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and also your frustration with a system that clearly needs to be rethought.
Elizabethd - it's so easy to take it for granted until something comes to bite us.
Mags, that must have been a tough interview. Commiserations on the bad back... we'll be hobbling over the finishing line together at this rate.
Miss Write, Welcome and thanks for your very kind comments, but it's your post that really tells it like it is because of you direct experience. Consider the following done.
Debs, thanks - and you're having a busy time at the moment too with offspring off to university.
Elizabethm, hoping not to kick anyone - just make people think about the issue. Thanks for your comment.
Patsy, you've really pinpointed what makes it so tough on one hand and so easy on the other. Thank you.
Bradan - heartbreaking story and, it seems, tragically common. Elastic time? I wish - just race around alot.
SBS, G's story really moves me, not least because I'm so short-sighted, but his experience was terrible. Good luck to him for university - sounds as if he's got his mother's spirit.
Kate, thanks for sharing that; something else I've learned about transplants. It sounds as though both you and B fight ongoing battles.
gaelikaa, lets hope so. On the busy front - well, I think you do the family stuff with incredible diplomacy... which is more than I do sometimes!
Muddyboots- I puzzled at the first sentence until I saw a gremlin had got it! Well done to you and yours for coming to an agreement you are all happy with. It seems that more families should do the same.
Edward, that does seem to be the obvious solution. Well done on the GNR - I enjoyed reading the report too, but, phew, that was quite an expensive run!
Jeanne, it's interesting how a watershed in your own life can lead to a particular choice. Well done, you. Yes, lovely to catch up - tiring though.
LBD - I know, it does make you think your own troubles don't amount to a hill of beans. Btw, have you met my ma? You seem to have a very accurate picture of what she's like!
Mountainear - what a coincidence that your card turned up this week. Yes, it does make you think about your own mortality and that of your loved ones, clearly that's one of the issues that makes people think twice - you've got past that, well done.
Got here in the end ;) Gorgeous girlf did point this blog out to me but I lost the link under pages of notes!
Thank you for your wonderful blog about Organ Donation; it's so interesting how few people have actually stopped and thought about it, despite the fact that statistically, you are more likely to need a transplant than ever to become a donor. And 1000 people die every year whose lives could have been saved by a transplant.
Jess is still battling on. She's tough...but she's not superman. I hope this call comes in time, I really do. Without mine, my blog would now have a sub-header reading "1984 - 2007" which says it all really.
Thanks again for highlighting such an important cause, and one so close to my heart.
best wishes :)
Em
Debs, an award? How exciting. Scampers off.
Em, hello Sweetheart, what a lovely family you are. I'm really touched you and Miss Write found the time to visit, but even more that you approved of the post - I'm very aware that I am only highlighting a subject that you know only too well. I've learned so much listening to Gorgeous Girlf about the cost to families caused by the agonising wait for a suitable transplant and it really brought home to me what Jess, and those close to her, must be going through. It's very sobering to think of what that sub-heading to your blog might have been - let's hope Jess gets the transplant that will save her life too. Cx