Organ donation conversation important to have – Editorial

THE FACTS

Organ donation is back in the spotlight, with at least three news articles this month shedding light on the issue.

These stories, published by SunLive, the Waikato Herald, and the New Zealand Herald, reinforce the importance of donors in saving lives – and the importance of people being donors.

SunLive published the story of 52-year-old Rotorua woman Kath Cross, who couldn’t blow out the candles on her 50th birthday cake.

Now, with a stranger’s lungs, Kath Cross is gearing up to ride 30km in one of New Zealand’s toughest cycling events.

“I’ve been given a new life – it feels so surreal.”

It follows the Waikato Herald publication of Stuart Brizzle’s story last Thursday.

Last year, the Matamata real estate agent’s kidney function had plummeted to 9% and a tumour was on the only kidney he had left. The 54-year-old was given up to six months to live.

Then came the good news. A near-perfect donor match had been found.

One can only imagine the relief that news brought.

“Someone I’ll never meet saved my life,” he says. “Their generosity means I get to keep being a dad.”

Brizzle’s story was published just days after the NZ Herald featured one about Manawatū mum of three Aimee Carruthers, who received a double-lung transplant to replace her diseased ones.

“I can never explain how grateful I am ... I truly believe it’s a gift.”

The Rotorua Daily Post a year ago carried the incredible story of Rotorua teenager Josh Heath, who died in 2021 but whose kidneys, liver, pancreas and lungs helped save six lives.

These and other uplifting stories of lives saved and transformed feature on the Herald website’s organ donation topic page.

They help keep this important issue in the spotlight.

Organ donors are heroes who give the gift of life. Seventy people donated organs after they died in New Zealand last year, which helped more than 200 people receive transplants, including kidney, liver, lungs and heart.

People of all ages can be considered for donation. Naturally, some criteria must be met.

There is plenty of information on Organ Donation New Zealand’s website.

Stories about organ donation are an important reminder for people to consider whether they want to be a donor and, importantly, tell their family about their wishes so they can ensure the right thing is done at the time.

The importance of understanding the process and having this conversation with family cannot be stressed enough. It’s not enough to have it printed on a driver’s licence.

It’s a conversation that could ultimately save lives.