How much are you willing to give?

Today, I made an executive decision.

I registered to become an organ donor.

You might be asking yourself why it has taken me so long to do so. I have been thinking about this subject for many years and finally today I had the AHA moment that I was waiting for to push me to make this decision.

Like many of you, I have been following Hélène Campbell’s story of her battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and her quest for a new pair of lungs. She has been advocating for organ donation through social media and has even received the support of celebrities like Justin Beiber and Ellen DeGeneres. Last week, Hélène underwent a double lung transplant and thankfully, she appears to be recovering well.

After reading several articles and tidbits over the last few months, I have finally managed to change my perspective on organ donation. I started thinking about how I would feel if it was my daughter waiting for a lung transplant. I couldn’t imagine being put in a position that so greatly relied on the generosity of others. More so, how could I possibly ask someone else to donate their organs if I was not prepared to do the same myself?

To be honest,the biggest factor holding me back was fear. What if I was in a coma and there was still a chance of survival, but someone I don’t even know decided that my organs would be better donated to someone else, than to keep me alive on the chance that I could survive? A bit silly, I know. Maybe I’ve watched too many medical dramas with unethical pushy doctors that they have made their way into my subconscious and now have me doubting our healthcare system.

Today, I turned over a new leaf and have decided that I trusted the health care system enough to fight for me. I trust my family enough to know that I would want to keep fighting for as long as I could. BUT, if there was absolutely no hope –then I would want to help someone else.

What do you think about organ donation? Have you registered to become an organ donor?

If you’re from Ontario, just go to beadonor.ca and have your health card ready. You can also check to see if you’re already registered.