Organ recipient welcomes plans for 'opt out donor scheme'

Wednesday 14 February 2018

A Guernseyman is backing a public consultation which could lead to a soft "opt-out" scheme for organ donation.

Ollie Power's sister donated one of her kidneys to him four years ago, improving his quality of life and also bringing the siblings even closer together.

The Committee for Health & Social Care has launched a public consultation on proposals to introduce a "soft opt-out organ donation scheme" locally.

Currently, Guernsey has an “opt-in” system for organ donation meaning that people who would like to donate organs following their death need to make their wishes clear by telling family or friends in advance, giving consent through their driving licence, or by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.

However HSC says "there are many people who, although they do believe in organ donation, have not joined the Organ Donor Register. Without making this express decision, it is more difficult for doctors to establish a patient’s wishes and more difficult for friends and family to honour them."

The Committee says a soft opt-out scheme in Wales, has resulted in an increase in donations, and it is hoped this can be replicated in Guernsey: 

"This will assume that all islanders wish to donate their organs if possible when they die unless they have requested to be removed from the register, either totally, or with respect to particular organs. Central to the system will be ensuring that sensitive processes are in place both to enable all islanders to have opportunity to record their decision clearly and for families to be consulted before any organs are taken."

Mr Power who received his donor kidney in April 2014 told Express that an "opt out donor scheme should be customary around the world."

His younger sister Krystal Carre, who Mr Power says "deserves recognition", offered to donate one of her kidneys after he started having problems with his blood pressure in 2012, which was eventually linked to a kidney problem.

Mr Power said: "something as simple as a head cold, I would notice blood in my waters and I just felt very run down, and it was not your everyday man flu. That was over a period of around two years. I started getting headaches which just seemed to appear more regularly and seemed more intense each time. One day the headache was so extreme I vomited at work which was completely unexpected.

"I decided to visit my doctor who sent me for tests, which confirmed I had renal failure, which was at stage three if I remember correctly. I was told I would eventually need a kidney transplant.

"After 2 further years on blood pressure tablets and eating as healthy as possibly my body had finally shut down to a stage of needing a kidney transplant."

Pictured: Mr Power and his fiancée Emily last summer and Mr Power with boxer James Woolnough before his operation

It was at this time that Mr Power's sister donated one of her kidneys, with the pair having their operations in London in April 2014. Mr Power says his sister is his hero and he'd advise other people to also consider being organ donors:

"I now live a normal life. I can't really do any competitive sports and I take medication twice a day, but my life has improved so much more now I have had a transplant.

"Be somebody’s hero. You’ll see the difference in them within two weeks, emotionally and physically."

Pictured: Mr Power and his fiancée Emily

The HSC consultation, which can be accessed here is open until 23 March 2018. 

Subject to the consultation’s outcome, proposals will be put to the States later this year.

Pictured above: Ollie Power and his sister Krystal Carre, in hospital in London after she had donated one of her kidneys to him