Newport family urges people to join organ donation register

Rob and Sue Edwards, from Newport, lost their beloved son, Jamie, in 2017 after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury, following an epilepsy-induced fall at home.

Following their loss, Mr and Mrs Edwards didn’t have to think for too long about the next question they were asked - whether they knew if Jamie was on the register to donate his organs and tissue.

Jamie’s Dad, Rob Edwards, said: “It’s something we knew he wanted, at whatever age he was. Of course, when he joined the Organ Donation Register, I don’t think he expected to be donating so soon, but we were certain of his decision.

“What’s the point in taking something with you that you don’t need? We told them they could take what they needed. The way they did everything at the hospital was fantastic.”

Among some of Jamie’s donations were his kidneys.

Mr Edwards said the experience “brings some comfort and it’s the only positive thing you can take out of something so devastating, which is why we only see it as a positive thing that Jamie was able to donate his organs”.

The experience had such a lasting effect on Jamie’s parents that it encouraged them to join the Organ Donation Register themselves.

Jamie Edwards. Picture: Family handout via Aneurin Bevan UHB (Image: Family handout via Aneurin Bevan UHB)

Sharon Keightley, a specialist organ donation nurse covering the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area, said becoming a donor can “make a real difference”.

“I look after families who, in their darkest time of grief, support a loved one’s decision for organ donation, then we hear that a child has had a new heart or lungs, or someone has received the gift of sight through cornea donation,” she said.

“My main message to everyone is to register your decision on the Organ Donation Register and talk to your family and leave them certain of your decision. Your family won’t know how you feel about organ donation unless you tell them, so please talk about it.”

The NHS Blood and Transplant Trust is now urging everyone to update their preferences on the Organ Donation Register, and to ensure that their family members are aware of their decision.

Although the legislation changes in 2015 mean that individuals are now automatically opted in to donate unless otherwise stated, families can override their loved one’s decision if they are unsure. Discussing a donation choice with loved ones is the only way to leave them certain of these wishes and will avoid any unnecessary additional duress, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said.

Anyone wishing to check or update their details on the Organ Donation Register should visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/donate/