| | THOUSANDS OF | | | | Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool, |
| | PEOPLE NEED A | | | | where organs and skin tissues were |
| | TRANSPLANT TO | | | | removed from dead children without |
| | SAVE OR IMPROVE | | | | permission for research purposes, have |
| | THEIR LIVES. WOULD | | | | certainly done little to reassure the |
| | YOU BACK A SYSTEM | | | | public. The case of former footballer |
| | THAT AUTOMATICALLY ALLOWS YOUR | | | | George Best’s excessive drinking, after |
| | ORGANS TO BE DONATED AFTER YOUR | | | | he had his liver transplant, certainly has |
| | DEATH? | | | | not helped people to decide to donate |
1 | | The idea of donating organs is | | | | either! |
| | probably something most people don’t | | 5 | | Perhaps it’s a question of showing |
| | like to give much thought. Who wants to | | | | people what donation can mean. One |
| | think about what will happen to their | | | | person’s death can save and improve |
| | body when they’re gone? However, the | | | | the lives of more than ten other people. |
| | shortage of organs has reached critical | | | | A heart transplant can save one life, and |
| | levels. | | | | lung transplants save two more. The |
2 | | The shortage has forced some people | | | | liver can be split, saving two more lives. |
| | to go abroad to buy organs on the black | | | | Success rates are excellent: nine out of |
| | market. Last December police | | | | ten patients will lead healthy lives for |
| | uncovered an organ trafficking gang, | | | | years. |
| | which involved buying organs from poor | | 6 | | Deborah Duval, 44, received a new |
| | people in Brazil for $10,000 and selling | | | | kidney and pancreas in 1994. She met |
| | them for transplant in South Africa, for | | | | the family of her donor, a 34-year-old |
| | around $120,000. Kidneys from live | | | | man, who saved the lives of six people |
| | donors are also traded illegally. The | | | | after his death. Her new kidney failed |
| | reason for the crisis is simple: not | | | | four years later, but she’s now in good |
| | enough people have registered to | | | | health after a second transplant. ‘A |
| | donate, according to Mr Chris Rudge, | | | | phone call once again brought the |
| | kidney transplant surgeon at The Royal | | | | dream of a life free from dialysis,’ |
| | London Hospital. ‘There’s always been a | | | | remembers Deborah. ‘I owe my life to |
| | shortage, which is [id:48911] because | | | | two families’ extraordinary generosity |
| | transplant surgery is so successful. We | | | | and compassion.’ |
| | know that 90 per cent of people would | | 7 | | At present, even if you have chosen to |
| | be willing to donate. They just don’t join | | | | donate your organs, your relatives can |
| | the NHS Organ Donor Register.’ | | | | overrule you after your death. A new law |
3 | | Another stumbling block is that when | | | | is going through Parliament to change |
| | grieving relatives are approached about | | | | this, so that the wishes of the individual |
| | the prospect of donating the organs of | | | | are decisive. We should ask ourselves, |
| | their loved ones, they usually refuse. | | | | would we want a transplant if we were |
| | ‘I don’t know why relatives say no,’ says | | | | critically ill? If the answer’s 'Yes' then |
| | Mr Rudge, ‘I’m worried that there might | | | | surely we must be willing to do the same |
| | be a lack of trust between patients and | | | | for others. |
| | doctors.’ | | | | TOP SANTÉ |
4 | | Scandals like the one involving Alder | | |