Carly Findlay

Writer, speaker, appearance activist. Loving life!

FilmLife Project Blogger Challenge for organ donation

This post is part of the FilmLife Blogger Challenge. 
 (Picture by CurlyPops)

The FilmLife Project was created to create awareness and conversations about organ donation through short film.

 From the FilmLife Project website:

“FilmLife Project is a collaborative project in conjunction with Donate Life Week 2012 (19-26 February), that aims to inspire and encourage young people to have conversations that ask and find out their loved ones wishes around organ and tissue donation.

FilmLife exists to capture the stories of organ donation and transplantation through the eyes of young filmmakers.

We believe that more people need to be asking and knowing their loved one’s wishes, and we’re inviting passionate people to spark these conversations by creating films about organ and tissue donation.”

My wonderful friend Camille asked me to take part in the FilmLife blogger challenge. 

I think it is so important to give your organs and tissue to those that need them after you die. I also think it’s important to donate your organs and tissue to research to help others. Your organs and tissue could save the lives of up to 10 people, and improve the lives of many more. (Donate Life states “in 2010, 309 organ donors gave 931 Australians a new chance in life”.)

Camille needs a new set of lungs and I want to raise awareness about organ donation so that she gets a new set of lungs. She’s on the transplant list, so I hope she receives new lungs soon. Camille’s life would be made so much easier with a new set of lungs – spending time with her has certainly opened my eyes to how much we take our breathing for granted. I’d love for her to get a new lease of life, and for her not to wait too long.
One of my friends’ brothers passed away a few years ago – it was so very tragic as he was so young and it was very unexpected, but he believed in organ donation and spoke to his family about his wishes when he got his drivers licence. Through the donation of his organs, the lives of seven other people were saved. You can read his story here. 
I think knowing people who have been impacted by organ donation makes the decision to donate easier. You can see the importance of donating life to someone who needs a chance. 
While it isn’t strictly organ donation, I have donated my time and body to research – when I go to the hospital, I see many doctors in training, and them examining my body and me talking about my condition helps them learn about ichthyosis (from physical, emotional and humourous aspects too) and treat future patients. So if you have the time, say yes to talking to student doctors – it helps them, and it helps others.

If I were given the opportunity to donate my organs, firstly, I hope my lungs can go to Camille. The hospital can take the lot – my eyes, heart, teeth – whatever’s useful and needed. I am obviously going to donate my skin to research. People are quite envious of my breasts, so perhaps if anyone’s in the mood for an implant, they can have those too! 😉

I have spoken to my parents about my wishes for my organs and tissue. I am registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register via Medicare. If you have registered, or are considering, make sure you speak to your family too.
Camille has a blog link up happening here. You can join the blogger challenge too. 

More information:

Comments

  1. Fantastic and moving post – as part of the FilmLife Project team I wanted to sincerely thank you for taking part — please share the love and ask any blogger friends to participate!
    Best, Sar Allen @sarallenconsult

  3. Thanks for this post. As a medical trainee, I agree wholeheartedly with your support of both organ donation and of allowing medical students/residents to participate in your care. It's absolutely essential that we have exposure to real patients in order to become good at what we do, so we really appreciate the people (like yourself) who are willing to be seen by trainees.

  4. Thankyou so much for joining in the challenge Carly and for helping to spread the word about organ donation.
    I wholeheartedly agree with volunteering as a test patient. We can help medical trainees become better doctors and that may help other patients just like us in the future!

  5. Thank you for writing about this Carly. As a donor recipient (2 x corneas) I cannot thank my donors and their families enough for the gift of sight. I've told my family I want to donate everything when I die.

  6. Awesome post! I also am an Organ Donor. I know too many people that wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for organ donation.

    My 2nd cousin have a liver transplant at just 9months old! She is now 4 and as crazy as anything and gorgeous as anything! Without the transplant chances are she wouldn't be here. Sadly whilst she was having the transplant in hospital her big sister (2 1/2 yrs old) died in a house fire.

    I also helped out a student last pregnancy, the OB asked on the C/Section table if I'd allow the student to give me my epidural/spinal and I was all for it and they did it… When I tell others that story they question as to why I let a student do it. My response…. they are supervised and they won't learn if they don't have "practice".

  7. Important post, Carly! My whole family is very pro-donation, and pro-guinea pig! My sister was too sick to donate her organs so her heart (which was buggered) went to medical science… it made my parents feel that she had not died in vain because today, almost 30 years later, the surgery to correct her condition is now routine and it brings comfort to think we might have had something to do with that.
    Tricky is involved in allergy research too because it's so important, and I was really happy to have a student midwife get to see her first birth with me! Ya gotta learn somewhere!!!
    Hope Camille gets her lungs soon x

  9. Carly thanks so much for being part of the bloggers challenge! we have had 25 people get involved and you have helped get awareness out about organ donation… so many of us have been touched by donation. x

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The material on Tune into Radio Carly is copyright. The writing in this blog is by Carly Findlay unless otherwise stated. Most photos in this blog are by Carly Findlay unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without permission from Carly Findlay. This blog represents my personal opinions and experiences. It does not reflect those of my employers'. The information I provide about ichthyosis is mostly based on personal experiences. Please seek medical advice or counseling before trying any new treatments I've written about.