Willow

This is not the update I wanted to give you today. Yesterday was an extremely saddening day. Every day 3 people in the UK die waiting for that lifesaving transplant that never comes. Heartbreakingly yesterday not one but two people within a group of approximately 600 of us who keep in touch over the internet died waiting for the lifesaving transplant that never came. One of these was the beautiful and brave baby Willow nicknamed "The Heart Warrior Princess" who was almost 4 months-old, and who although I never got the chance to meet felt I already had a positive connection with her, because she alike myself was born with a heart defect. But unlike me Willow did not have the luxury of being able to using medication get to the age of 2 years-old before she needed a transplant. Willow fought her final battle yesterday, the heart she needed never came. She died peacefully in her Mother's arms with her loved ones around her. Her Mum fully supports the "Soft Opt-Out" system and even in this unimaginably awful time has not forgotten the campaign and wanted me to let you know the reality of the "waiting game" and why we need to introduce this system as soon as possible. Although this petition means only those over the age of medical consent are automatically opted-in to donate we strongly believe if everyone is automatically an organ donor it will normalise this currently slightly scary unknown. Consequently parents whose child dies in circumstances that their organs & tissue could be used for transplant are more familiar with the process. And especially if they have not opted-out themselves are therefore more likely to donate their child's organs & tissue. On some occasions adult organs can be transplanted to older children. Please keep raising the topic of this and sharing this petition, we have almost 1000 signatures - let's make this a reality for Willow and her family. Comments as ever are always welcome. Kindest regards Lucy Ryan