83-year-old gave
blood 57 times - now he's donated a kidney
Widower
is hailed for his altruism after giving organ to NHS waiting-list patient he didn’t even know
Crace has donated the organ to an unknown stranger at Queen
Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. Before the operation, Crace had to undergo numerous tests to see if his
kidneys were functioning well enough to donate one of them . This whole process
took about 6 months in total. Mr. Crace
was found to be in good condition, although he
admits he likes to drink more alcohol than he should.
Three days after the operation, Mr. Crace was already doing his
usual chores and biking around in his home town. He would be happy to do more
donations, like bone marrow, but his age doesn’t allow him.
After his wife died
Mr.Crace felt the need for a new
goal in life and he hopes more people in his age group will sign up to do a
donation. He realizes the need for donors and says that people with two healthy
kidneys could donate one to someone who is in desperate need. Moreover, kidneys
from living donors are proven to work better than those from people who have just died. Kidney patients
that receive a new kidney can lead a perfectly normal life after having been on
dyalisis for a long time.
Crace is hopeful people will follow his example and so are the
doctors; they applaud people like Crace but realize altruistic donors like
Crace are hard to find.
Reaction
I think it is
extremely unselfish what mr. Crace did and I think not many people would follow
his example. The whole issue of donating organs has always been a difficult
subject to discuss. People are still very hesitant to talk about the subject. A
lot of people in the Netherlands can not decide whether to become organ donors
after their death. I understand this is a ethical question and not easy to answer.
It’s your choice but if you realize you can safe lives, why not?
My father was a
kidney patient; he was on dyalisis three times a week. He felt miserable and
tired and still he refused a donor kidney, because he said that at his age (72)
he had had a good life and kidneys
should go to younger people. He also did
not want any of his children to donate a kidney. He died at age 72.
I like Mr. Crace's and your father's attitude. It is touching and makes me think in a different way about getting older. I do find it a very nice and altruistic thing to do, that people who are growing older are willing to make sacrifices for the younger generation.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIt is an amazing story. I think Mr. Crace is unbelievably unselfish. There are not a lot of people like that. After reading this piece I came to thinking about what I would do myself. On the one hand, I like the idea, but on the other; imagine I would donate one of my kidneys and after a few years the one I have left goes bad and doesn't work anymore... then I will really regret that I gave away my other kidney. It is a very difficult decision whether or not donate your organs.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI admire Mr Grace for what he did but I think its overdone to cut in a healthy body for someone you don't know. I wouldn't do that . It would be a different case if it was a relative. You have to be aware of the fact that some people will abuse this andsell theuir organs for a lot of money.
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