Documentary highlights benefits of organ donation
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NHS Grampian has commissioned a documentary to highlight the impact organ donation can have on the lives of transplant recipients and donor families.
It will be part of a permanent art installation at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI), in memory of those who became organ donors.
Filmmaker Tucker Tangeman has interviewed both donor families and those who’ve had their lives changed by a transplant, as well as the clinicians who support them.
Rhona Atkinson, acting chairwoman of NHS Grampian and chairwoman of the organ donation committee, said: “This film is the exciting culmination of a project our committee has been working on for some time.
"A space in the hospital has long been held for an installation to commemorate organ donors.
"We considered a whole range of projects until we hit on the idea of a film.
"The personal testimony of those who have received a transplant and those who make the very difficult decision to allow organ donation is incredibly powerful.”
One of those interviewed was local artist Brian Keeley. He had a massive heart attack in 2013 and spent 101 days in intensive care at the Golden Jubilee hospital before receiving a heart transplant.
He – and wife Bibo – channelled their experiences into an exhibition, The Shared Heart, which has been shown at ARI.
He said: "I’m alive today because someone, somewhere, had added their name to the organ donor register and their family supported that decision.
"I went from contemplating my own mortality to realising that I might have a future after all.
"I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of the clinical professionals involved in the field of transplant and donation, and to the organ donor whose heart now beats within me.”
In 2018, 44 people died in Scotland while waiting for a transplant.
Although the law on organ donation is changing in Scotland, it is still incredibly important people who are willing to donate add their names to the register and make their loved ones aware of their wishes.
Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “NHS Grampian’s short film will give people a better insight into the difference donation can make and how it saves or improves people’s lives.
“I am grateful to those participating in Organ Donation Week for continuing the conversation and encouraging people to make a choice about donation and to discuss that with their loved ones.”
The film was shown to a specially invited audience at the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen.
It will then be shown on a permanent loop as part of the art installation in the foyer of the emergency department at ARI. This will be installed and unveiled later this year.
Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson said: “This is an innovative way to get the message across to the public how important organ donation is while commemorating those who became organ donors.
“Right at this moment in Scotland, around 550 people with life-threatening illnesses are on transplant waiting lists. So it is important for everyone to decide whether they want to be a donor and to share that decision with their family.
“Signing up to the Organ Donor Register could not be easier – and I would encourage my constituents to spare the two minutes that it takes to sign up at www.organdonationscotland.org/yes
“The Organ Donor Register is a vital resource for our NHS and the fact that everybody has it in them to save a life.”
Elsewhere, His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen and the staircase at Fyvie Castle were lit up green in support of organ donation week.
