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This week marked another important milestone at Westminster: the private member's bill for organ donation, dubbed Max's Law, took a step forward by taking a crucial step.
When I heard the news, I was about to leave for a cruise in the Mediterranean and I am delighted to see how a Parliament united in the desire to save lives can debate with calm and objectivity and support a project of law not to reduce or eliminate rights, but to protect citizens. and improve hundreds of lives each year.
Complete packaging – there is always this last element, or 10 – we have just arrived in Barcelona and leave for the beautiful Celebrity Eclipse for a trip during which we will anchor in Spain, France, Italy and in Gibraltar.
I've always been very laid back when I was planning my vacation, maybe too much, because I remembered my mother: although we can always sort out all the forgotten things, like sunglasses, swim shorts or aftershaves, my tablets were the most important items in our luggage.
Without all my medications, I would not get the right doses of anti-rejection and stabilization and I would have to call for urgent medical help because my transplant would be in danger.
My health professionals and medications keep my transplant alive, whether it's the kidney I received from a donor in 2009 or the kidney I received from my mother in March of this year. My experiences have clearly defined my priorities in life.
That is why, when I hear about political actors supporting and supporting a law that is close to my heart, I am delighted.
I remember very well being seated in the little box of the Stormont Assembly and listening to my mother explain the reasons why Northern Ireland could and should seize the opportunity of follow Wales by becoming the second UK region to adopt an Opt Out organ donation system.
Although the support of his private member's bill comes from the smaller parties in the House, I will never forget the myriad of arguments raised against the bill by those who are in the House. opposed to change, including, strangely, the fact that emotion should not be brought to the House of Assembly. .
In the end, this week we saw the same proposal moving forward in Westminster with a calm and calm debate, uniting parties and politicians.
The Westminster bill, which only affects England, will change the consent system for organ donation into a withdrawal system designed to simplify the donation process, increasing the number of potential donors and respecting wishes. people who do not wish to donate. During the debate on the bill, a very difficult but necessary truth was presented to members of Parliament. Of all the people who died last year in the country, one in every 100 died in circumstances where they could potentially donate their organs.
The truth is that even though hundreds of thousands of people are registered as potential donors, only a very small number of them will be able to donate. That's why we need more people who think about organ donation and have this very important discussion with their families and loved ones because hundreds of people across the country, and an average of 15 every year in Ireland, North, continue to die because an organ is not available to them.
We all have priorities and we all have dreams – my dream is to see a world where no one dies needlessly because they could not get the transplant that would save their lives.
My tablets are all stored in my cabin, I will make my priority for the days to come, to enjoy the cruise and come back refreshed and renewed. I will also take my first break from my column next week, but I will be back on November 14 to inform you of my evolution and to continue to promote organ donation, the source of life and saving lives.
We all have the opportunity to save life.
Belfast Telegraph
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