Organ Donation for Transplant and Research

[Richard-Allen]

This post is talking about Organ Donation upon Death, so please take care to choose to read on further.

I recently went down to the Blood and Transplant Service Head Office in Bristol and attended a workshop on the importance of organ research. There were four of us fellow liver transplantees there along with a few heart transplantees and even one lady who had had both a lung and heart transplant. There was a presentation on how research is trying to find ways of getting heart muscles to regenerate.

They spoke of a little creature called Axolotls which is a relative of the tiger Salamander. They only live in one part of the world and that is within the canals of Mexico. These poor little creatures are dying in numbers.

Axolotls have the remarkable ability to regenerate parts of their bodies. This includes limbs, eyes and even parts of their brains. Research labs around the world are trying to understand this incredible trait, which is one reason there are so many captive axolotls: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/330...

But all this research is only possible if human organs are made available. I came away from that workshop wanting to try and do something.

Back in 2016, I was given the gift of life by an unselfish organ donor. That man’s liver now lives in me. So, now that I’m now in my seventies when my time comes, and I’ve finished with this body, instead of it just going into the ground, or being set on fire, I have signed my body over to the Keele University for research.

So, even in death, I’m going to be helping to shape the future of medicine. For more information please see the following”: hta.gov.uk/guidance-public/...

Best Wishes

Richard

[Millie09]

Hi Richard, hope you are keeping well .As ever that was really informative and very intesting

Also leaving your body to research is a wonderful thing to be doing , selfless and thoughtful

Best wishes linda

[Readlots]

Hi Richard, good for you to have raised a difficult topic with sensitivity as always. We should all be talking about what our wishes are with our loved ones to make it easier for them when the time comes. Which has reminded me that I need to sort out my powers of attorney too!

[Painterlass]

Hi Richard, this is really fascinating to read and I've thought about doing something similar myself. I have no partner or children so have planned to skip the funeral service when my time comes and just leave instructions/funds for a good old knees up celebrating my life, for my few lovely friends. I shall consider this. Thank you for sharing.