Julie Helen: 'For me, organ donation is a no brainer'

The legislation in Ireland for organ donation has changed.

As of now, we have an opt out system of organ donation.

This means that if we do not wish to be organ donors, we need to put ourselves on the opt out register. We can do this online with the HSE, by telephone to the HSE, or tell our family our wishes.

When it comes to organ donation, telling our family our wishes was always the most important point, so that if we ended up on life support, our family would know what we want them to do.

Telling our family is still the most important step we can take.

With the new register, if you have put yourself on it, and you are in an end of life situation where your organs could be donated, the HSE or any medical professionals will not ask about organ donation when they are dealing with family members.

This makes the situation very clear cut for people who are certain they never want to donate their organs, whether it is for religious or other personal reasons.

It also makes things simple if there was uncertainty on the part of a next of kin. For example, if my husband didn’t want organ donation but I believe strongly in it, I couldn’t just make my own decision if he had placed himself on the opt out register at any time during his life.

I feel a tightness in my chest when writing about this subject because my brother’s life was saved and greatly enhanced by a kidney transplant, and a good friend who died in her early 40s saved five lives with her organs.

Her family were very clear that she would want to save lives with her heart, lungs, kidneys and liver because she knew Diarmuid was on the transplant list at the time and the impact his kidney failure had on our whole family, when we were holding our breaths, wishing and hoping for so long.

Diarmuid’s donor gave a new lease of life to us all and we will be forever grateful.

Under the new legislation, if you do nothing and a situation arises where you could donate your organs, health professionals will actively and quickly ask your family about the decision. There still will be consultation and somebody very close to you will make the decision for you.

I have seen my brother on life support, it is an awful situation, his life hanging in the balance. It was terrifying.

To be a deceased donor, you need to be declared as brain dead so it means your family is thrown into the worst grief imaginable, so your family should be able to make the decision about your organs quickly and easily.

Having these conversations can be heart- wrenching but it is so hugely important.

For me, organ donation is an absolute no- brainer. I would donate everything I could when they were no more good to me.

If I thought I could bring another family the hope, followed by joy, that my family experienced when Diarmuid got his new kidney, I would do so in a heartbeat.

I do understand that not everybody will feel the same way and may feel very strongly against organ donation. Now they have a very clear way to express their wishes.

I also feel like there is a chunk of people who are in the middle, who have never been touched by organ donation, have never had to consider the worst in their lives.

It is those people this legislation will capture, and will give a clear process at the worst time for a family.