The decision made by Karl Chircop and his family on the Labour MP’s deathbed – that his organs were to be donated to others in need – was the last significant gesture of a man who truly believed in solidarity, of helping others.
But it did not stop there. Thanks to what he did and the decision to make it public, there have been many, many others who have taken the cue and registered themselves as organ donors.
Dr Chircop died in a London hospital earlier this month after suffering from cerebral haemorrhage in August. After all attempts to save his life failed, it was decided that his organs would be donated before the life-support machines were switched off.
It is certain that the publicity that was given to Dr Chircop’s organ donation gesture was not to boast of what he did. Dr Chircop was not that kind of person. But it was known that if the decision to donate his organs was made public, there would be a surge in applications for donor cards.
Perhaps few however would have expected such a sharp rise. The word spread quickly and many people were encouraged to follow Dr Chircop’s example. Just to give one example, a presenter on a local radio station was inundated with requests to repeat the website address (where people could register online) as more and more people expressed an interest in doing this noble gesture.
Speaking to this newspaper, Alfred Debattista, president and founder of the Transplant Support Group, expressed his satisfaction that so many Maltese people had chosen to continue living in others by donating their organs after their death.
In the past, the foundation received an average of 25 to 30 applications per week, but since Dr Chircop’s organ donation, the number increased to some 60 applications daily for a total of 600 in 10 days.
It is normal for the number of donors to increase each time there is some form of publicity; maybe a discussion on television or an article in a newspaper. Yet what persuades people the most is when they hear of others who become donors. If this person happens to be popular and well-loved, as was the case of Dr Chircop, then the ripple effect is even greater.
One must remember that there are thousands of people around the world who are still alive thanks to the generosity of others. Others are living a better life because they have undergone a kidney or cornea transplant. And although, in Malta, we are still not in a position to carry out all kinds of transplants, organs donated locally can be sent abroad, mostly to Italy and the United Kingdom, in hospitals where many Maltese patients go for treatment.
Registering to become a donor has now become much easier through improved technology. Today, one can simply enter the website www.transplantsupport.com.mt, and register online. Some 80 per cent of registrations are made from the comfort of one’s home or from the office, and this should be of further encouragement to people who are still of two minds.
It is hoped that the surge in donor card applications will continue and, if not, it is first of all up to the foundation to keep reminding the public about such possibility. Secondly, the media should also play its part by promoting such noble gestures on a regular basis.
Life is what each and every one of us treasures most. The donation of our organs is the best gift that we could give to others.