It's time to talk about organs, says Cystic Fibrosis sufferer who watched his mum's life change for the better after surgery

WILL Rogers is likely to need a lung transplant later in life - but he already has close-up experience of how transforming that process can be.

Mr Rogers is using his experience of seeing his mum’s life changed for the better by a double lung transplant, to urge people to tell their loved ones about whether or not they want donate their organs in the event of their death.

He is backing the next phase of the ongoing Organ Donation Wales campaign - called ‘time to talk about organ donation’ - which aims to boost people’s knowledge of the organ donation decisions of loved ones.

A fit and active 20-year-old, Mr Rogers lives with his mum, Jan Cripps, in Risca. Like her, he has the lung disease cystic fibrosis, which caused the worsening health that led to her lifesaving double transplant in November 2010.

“You need to be in the situation where you need an organ transplant to fully understand how important it is that more people are available to become donors,” he said.

“It is simply a matter of life and death. I was pushing my mum around in a wheelchair before she had her transplant and her life is now completely changed.

“Organ donation gives new life to so many people, but it’s one of those things that’s never talked about.

“If kids my age were simply told more about it, say as part of the curriculum, they would grow up accepting organ donation as a good thing.

“To me it’s a no-brainer. If you don’t want to be a donor, you will be able to opt out, but if you do, then you don’t even have to do anything, as the new law will treat you like someone who’s happy to be an organ donor, which is great.”

The new law to which he refers was introduced last December, bringing in an opt-out organ donation system for Wales.

Research suggests that 74 per cent of people living in Wales know of it. Yet only 47 per cent have shared their decision on organ donation with loved ones.

“Our new campaign phase launching today, aims to kick start getting our nation talking about organ donation,” said cabinet secretary for health, wellbeing and sport Vaughan Gething.

The ‘time to talk about organ donation‘ campaign will be supported with radio, bus, train, cinema and digital advertising. For more information on organ donation and living donation, visit www.organdonationwales.org or www.facebook.com/OrganDonationWales or telephone 0330 123 23 23.