August is national organ and tissue awareness month and a good time for residents to have conversations with their families about their wishes concerning organ donation.
Joburg northern suburbs resident and Tell (Transplant Education for Living Legacies) marketing director Fawn Kruger spoke about her experience of receiving a life-saving double-lung transplant eight years ago. Kruger was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis – a life-threatening disorder that damages the lungs – which necessitated the double-lung transplant.
She had to meet a number of criteria, including that of being a healthy weight before she could be placed on the list to receive a transplant. “[Once I had met the criteria], I was critical and did not have much time left. I waited eight months for a donor to be found and it was just in time.”
She said maintaining hope was one of the most difficult things to do while waiting for an organ. “In first-world countries, you are told you need a life-saving transplant and then soon after, your surgery takes place. The main stress in those countries is recovering from the surgery, but in South Africa, finding an organ is the real battle.
“I have lost a lot of friends who didn’t get a donor in time and it’s heartbreaking to know that they could have been saved if someone simply said ‘yes’ to organ donation.”
Kruger added that organ donation was not always on everybody’s radar, but it involved making a decision and telling your family about it.
“It’s such a small thing to do and it could save the lives of eight people. So, please make the decision and tell your family while you are still around to do so.”
She explained that in South Africa, even if you were a registered organ donor, your family had the final say on what happened to your organs when you die.
The objective of Tell is to get people talking to their families about their wishes so that when the time comes, the family is aware of their loved one’s wishes and can make an informed decision on their behalf.
Details: Tell (Transplant Education for Living Legacies) www.tell.org.za
