Baby Zara’s gift of life
Rebecca Patel’s commitment to organ donation was sparked by the loss of her baby to meningitis seventeen years ago.
Rebecca and her husband agreed to donate 14 month-old Zara’s organs after she failed to regain consciousness.
Her recipient donor has just started university and the decision to donate remains a source of comfort for Rebecca and her family.
“It was the right decision and the fact that someone else is living because of Zara makes it more bearable. It’s good to know she helped save someone else’s life.”
The mother of three, who works as a transfusion nurse and lives in Kenton, Brent, now sits on organ donor committees at Northwick Park and Great Ormond Street hospitals.
So, have things improved in the intervening years?
“People are much more aware of organ donation nowadays and specialist nurses a lot more proactive in approaching families.
“It’s tough but necessary job as more than 400 people died waiting for a donor in the UK last year. The sad thing is it is avoidable if we had more donors.
“My family are all registered and I’d encourage anyone to remember that they can save a life after they’ve gone. You can’t give someone a better gift than life, can you?”
If you’d like to become an organ donor, contact www.organdonation.nhs.uk
You can find out more about Rebecca’s story on YouTube.