Organ donation: talk to your loved ones
The importance of giving your opinion
This year's awareness day organ donation Its main purpose was to make everyone aware of the importance of addressing the delicate subject of the organ donation in family and especially to make known his position. It can also be signified by slipping a donor card into his papers.
When one is faced with the accidental death of a loved one, the pain is such that it is very difficult to make the decision to donate the organs of the deceased. Especially when the family did not know his opinion about it. This is confirmed with great emotion by the mother of Adrien, 18, who recently passed away, "fortunately we had talked about it before with my family and with my son, because when we are confronted with this terrible question we do not have the energy of thinking about something so serious at that time was obvious to us Adrien's death made sense through the graft, which helps me to accept his death 'through this organ donation there is a continuation, a person with his kidney, another his lungs. "For this mom it was also important not to put her other children away from this decision.
Find the right moment
In France talk about death and organ donation is taboo. Certainly by superstition, but also because we tend to project ourselves into the position of the donor. "Death is really a topic avoided in our society, confirms Professor Marcelli, a psychiatrist in Poitiers.When to find the right moment to talk about it spontaneously to his relatives? It is not simple. We can do it on the occasion of an event like the accidental death of a friend, an article read in the press.There is no ideal moment. "For this specialist of the family it is important to discuss it when one is relaxed and especially do not dramatize the discussion. Do not start this one by saying "you are for or against", these are words that excite, it is necessary to find others. Also be careful not to force a person totally opposed to organ donation to justify this refusal.
"It's even more difficult between the parents and the children," says the teacher, "it's the parents who are blocking, while the children are very quick to ask questions about life and death." explain to them that it is a gift of life, but if your child really expresses anguish about death, it is useless to discuss this subject with him. "
Organ donation, state of play
The importance of organ donation seems today understood by the public, it feels more confident. Even if the figures are encouraging, they do not yet make it possible to reduce the shortage. At the time of the application, the rate of opposition to the levy is always stable between 30 and 32%. Every year in France, 2000 people are brain dead and are therefore potential donors. However, only 1200 samples are taken. In 2004, 4000 patients were transplanted, nearly 400 more than in 2003. This figure is a hope for people waiting for transplantation.
