A mum who nearly died after a rare pregnancy complication is calling on islanders to become organ donors after a transplant saved her life.
Louise Double needed a liver transplant in June 2018 after developing HELLP syndrome, a rare life-threatening pregnancy complication, which occurred during childbirth.
This Organ Donation Week (22 - 28 September) Louise and Health and Care Jersey nurse Sam North are urging islanders to speak to their family members about their wishes regarding organ donation.
“It was very hard to write that letter, and it took me over two years to find the right words.
“They lost a family member and made the difficult decision to donate their organs, so it is a very sensitive matter.
"I did send the family a letter letting them know the impact their son had on my family. Their reply is displayed in my house as a reminder of what their son did for me.
"Going on and living a full and grateful life, I feel, is the best way I can honour the family.”
In July 2019, the "opt out" organ donor law came into effect in Jersey.
READ: Opt-out Organ Donation Takes Effect
However, family members are always consulted, which means it’s vital to ask your loved one about their wishes.
To help raise awareness throughout the week, Fort Regent and Elizabeth Castle will be lit in pink – the colour of an organ donor card – in memory of the 400 people who died in the British Isles last year awaiting a transplant.
You can log your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk
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