As part of our civil partnership with the RUH, this year the university has once again marked Organ Donation Week by lighting the Library up pink.
Every year this week raises awareness about the importance of organ donation, the need for more donors to help those waiting for a transplant and increase the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Louisa King, International Relations Coordinator in the School of Management, also reached out to us to share her donation story:
I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), which I inherited from my mum's side of the family, at the age of 18. With PKD, you're born with cysts on your kidneys which gradually destroy the healthy tissue. I developed kidney failure in my early 40s and eventually started dialysis.
Both my mum and aunt had experienced dialysis and transplant so I had some idea what to expect, but nonetheless it was a stressful and frightening time. However, under the team at Southmead Hospital in Bristol I adapted quickly and thankfully was able to carry on working full-time, while being prepared for a transplant should a suitable kidney become available. Just six months after starting dialysis, in January 2017, I was incredibly fortunate to receive a kidney transplant from a deceased donor and thankfully it's still going strong.
Life has its complications as a transplant patient – I take a variety of medication to prevent my body rejecting my new kidney – and there’s no way of knowing how long the kidney will continue working normally; but I feel grateful every day that my transplant is working so well, and to be able to life a relatively normal life free from dialysis.
The waiting list has never been higher and the NHS needs your support more than ever. Over 8000 people are currently in need of a transplant to save or improve their lives. If you are interested in becoming a donor and helping someone like Louisa visit the Organ Donation website to learn more.