Everyone is aware that organ donors save lives, and there is sometimes a long waiting list for individuals who are hoping to get an organ transplant.
The number of those in need of organ donation greatly outweighs the number of people who are willing to donate, thus, itโs critical to emphasize the enormous impact of organ donation to demonstrate how donors may transform lives.
Organ transplantation is a major lifesaver.
According to the World Health Organization, the transplantation of human cells, tissues, or organs has advanced to a successful global practice during the past 50 years.
When a patient no longer has access to other therapies or solutions, transplants can save lives and restore vital functions. However, the figures show a 17.6% decline in organ donors noted in 2019.
Fewer people are willing to donate organs.
To entice more individuals to register as organ donors, there should be a stronger effort made to demonstrate that transplants save lives. Gareth Weeks from Fife, Scotland shared his own story to let more people know how donors can impact a personโs life.
The before and after effects of a liver transplant were depicted in his two identically staged photographs with his daughter Zara.
The difference is astounding.
Weeks captioned his post, โOrgan donation really does save lives!โ He is seen in the first image with a swollen stomach and nearly yellow skin due to jaundice, which is a symptom of the chronic liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).
Organ donation really does save lives!
Please talk about it & let your loved ones know your wishes ๐๐ป
11.05.2022 vs 29.06.2022 โ and exactly 6 weeks after I came out of surgery! #OrganDonation #LiverTransplant #LeaveThemCertain #psc #shareyourwishes #family #RIE #health pic.twitter.com/naAimg87Ap
โ Gareth Weeks (@GarethWeeks) June 29, 2022
Weeksโ tummy is no longer distended in the second image, and his skin appears to be in good condition. He also has a noticeable abdominal post-surgery scar.
He definitely looks so much better now.
Prior to Weeksโ life-altering gift, the first picture was taken on May 11, 2022. Only six weeks had passed since his liver transplant when the following picture was taken.
Six years ago, the organ recipient started noticing that he was incredibly exhausted all the time despite getting enough rest. He attributed his exhaustion to the fact that he was nursing a child at the time, but later he had stomach aches, cramps, back pain, and jaundice as well.
The diagnosis shooked their lives.
His liver issues started when he was given a primary sclerosing cholangitis diagnosis. PSC happens when the liverโs bile ducts get clogged. Bile then accumulates and harms the liver.
People with PSC may only have 10 to 12 years to live if they are not treated. Weeks realized right away that he needed to sign up for an organ transplant waiting list.
It was indeed a difficult time.
โOver the next few months, I was trying to come to terms with having a chronic illness, but it was strange because physically, other than being tired, I felt fine,โ he recounted.
But Weeks became seriously ill in 2021, and in September, his doctors put him on the list for a liver transplant. He endured seven agonizingly long months of waiting for the phone call that would restore his health and give him back his life.
Couldnโt ask for more on Fatherโs Day, given where I was sitting a month ago.. ๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป #thankful #organdonationsaveslives #organdonation #fathersday #family #health #psc #liverdiseaseawareness #leavethemcertain #primarysclerosingcholangitis pic.twitter.com/s0hxxPijut
โ Gareth Weeks (@GarethWeeks) June 19, 2022
On May 16, 2022, the good news arrived!
โOnce the surgeon gave the go-ahead, the next thing I remember was waking up in ICU at 8:30 a.m. the next day with a breathing tube in my throat,โ he recalled.
โBut because of the generosity of my donor and their family, I am excited about my future again,โ he remarked. โI want to go back home on holiday to South Africa, finally use the bicycle I bought a few years ago, and start golf again.โ
His life is now full of hope, thanks to the beautiful heart of his donor. If more people decide to donate organs, more people will be given the beautiful gift of life. Indeed, organ donors save lives!
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