Woman Honored Posthumously For Organ Donation At Special Awards Ceremony in England

The Order of St John award for Organ Donation is presented to the families and loved ones of those who saved and improved people’s lives through organ donation.

An organ donor from Tollesbury village in England, who died of a brain hemorrhage and saved the lives of four others, has been honored at a special awards ceremony.

Kim Ponder (48), a counselor, donated her lungs, liver and kidneys, which saved lives of four recipients. Her husband Tim Ponder (50), of Kents Grass, received the posthumous award following a ceremony in Chelmsford.

People Gather to Highlight the Need for More Organ Donation
Students, faculty and transplant recipients lined up on the University of Michigan's Diag to highlight the ongoing need for more organ, tissue, blood donors.

The Order of St John award for Organ Donation is run in conjunction with NHS Blood and Transplant. The awards are presented to the families and loved ones of those who saved and improved people’s lives through organ donation.

Ponder said, “The award is lovely to get. When I look back now donating her organs was a no brainer. At the time it was a hard decision but everyone should do it. It is comforting to think that someone is benefiting.”

NHS Blood and Transplant is calling for others to be inspired by the selfless act of organ donation.

Karnataka Plans to Make Organ Donation Counseling Mandatory in Hospitals
The government is mulling to frame rules and guidelines for hospitals including a team to promote organ donation systematically in the state.

The number of deceased organ donors in the UK dropped between April 2014 and March 2015, for the first time in 11 years.

Sally Johnson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said, “We have been overwhelmed by the pride and experiences shared by the hundreds of families who have accepted the award on their loved one’s behalf. It never ceases to amaze me just how humble people are when you speak to them about having helped to save the lives of patients who were desperately ill.”

New Zealand�s Review On Organ Donation Procedures May Help Improve Its Donation Rates
New Zealand has relatively low rates of organ donation at 10 per million compared with other countries. Spain has the highest rate at 36 per million people.

“I have never spoken to a single person who has ever regretted their decision to donate. These families deserve this honor and recognition to mark their loved ones life-saving gifts,” she added.

Source-Medindia

17-year-old American Student Creates Two-minute Video on the Need for Organ Donation
The video was developed for a competition, ‘Legacy of Life Essay and Video Scholarships’ with the idea to make more people sign up as organ donors.