Organ donation brought comfort after unexpected loss

Julie Woods has said being able to donate her sister’s organs brought her grieving family comfort.

Julie’s sister, Sam Woods, died in September 2023 at the age of 51.

To mark Organ Donation Week as well as the first anniversary of Sam’s death, Julie and her family are keen to raise awareness of organ donation, something she says has consoled them in their grief.

With statistics from NHS Blood and Transplant showing the number of people needing a transplant is at a 10-year high, the family’s message is timely.

Julie, 62, recalled the day Sam died, saying: ‘We had been out for lunch, and everything was fine. We were laughing, joking, as you do. Sam was living with my mum at the time. They went home, and Sam choked on a marshmallow in the kitchen.’

Sam’s family congregated at her bedside at the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, where they were sadly told that her brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long.

Julie said: ‘It was such a huge shock to us all. There were about 18 of us all sat around Sam’s bedside, just trying to make sense of the fact that she wouldn’t make it.’

Later that day, Simon Lawrence, a specialist nurse for organ donation at East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, approached the family to support them in reaching a decision around organ donation.

Julie had never discussed the topic with her sister, but she says the family’s decision was instant.

She said: ‘We had mistakenly believed Sam wouldn’t be able to donate her organs as she had Down’s syndrome, but as soon as we knew she could, I turned to my mum and said, “I think Sam would really like that.”

‘Sam was really kind and would always think of others before herself; that was just the kind of person she was.’

Julie said the support of the organ donation team was invaluable, adding, ‘They explained everything they were going to do. They really were amazing.’

Sam was able to donate her kidneys to two men in their 60s, her liver to a lady in her 30s, and her lungs to another woman.

Sam’s heart tissue has also been stored for future donation.

In recognition of her donation, Sam was posthumously handed the Order of St John Award for Organ Donation. Awarded in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, the annual awards are presented to families in tribute of those who have saved or transformed others’ lives through organ donation.

Julie said: ‘Sam took part in the Special Olympics, travelling around for years doing all sorts of things like relay and throwing. That took her to Maryland in the US and to Greece. She loved getting medals and would have been really pleased to get the award for donating her organs.’

Julie went on: ‘Organ donation gave us some comfort; it was just knowing there were people out there whose lives have been improved because of Sam.’

Julie said: ‘I would urge anyone who finds themselves in the difficult position we did to think about what organ donation can do. In your darkest times, it can be hard to think about it, but you’re giving a future to someone else.’

The Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 came into effect in May 2020. Under the law, all adults in England are considered to have agreed to donate their organs unless they are a member of an excluded group or record a decision not to donate. However, the individuals loved ones will always be consulted before organ donation goes ahead.

Simon, who works across several of East Kent Hospitals’ sites, said: ‘During Organ Donation Week, the NHS is encouraging everyone to register their organ donation decision on the Organ Donor Register.

‘Organ donation is very rare and can only happen if you die on a ventilator in intensive care. Approximately 1400 people donate their organs every year in often sudden and unexpected circumstances.

‘Confirming your decision on the organ donor register means there is one less thing for your family to worry about during an already difficult time.’