Families, please stop barring your loved ones from organ donation - no matter how much it hurts

The Independent | Jess Bancroft

To block someone’s last wishes is particularly sad, as when you do, you are changing a legacy they thought they were going to leave

Prepare yourself for a fun start to an article; I begin with the word ‘death’. Death and the finality it bestows are, understandably, not something we like to think about much. As a society we very much focus upon the ‘now’ and have come to herald meditation and mindfulness, means by which to extend our presence in the current moment, as the keys to living a successful life.

I am a self-confessed proponent of this movement – I (try) to meditate every (read: some) mornings and was given one of those oh so popular mindfulness colouring books for Christmas (who wasn’t?).

But through this focus upon our own intense presence we are intentionally disregarding the inevitable. While we don’t want to think about death, we certainly don’t want to think about what might happen after it. I say ‘after it’ in a practical, what-will-happen-to-my-body sense, as opposed to a spiritual one. The spiritual side of things gets plenty of airtime. Continue reading

To register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, visit www.DonateLIFE.net. | In Caifornia, visit http://ift.tt/LgEunT | It is important to share your decision with loved-ones.