The typical phrase for the donation of blood and organs is the one that says that “donating saves lives”, and in truth it could not be more true, since there are millions of people on waiting lists for organs to improve some health condition.
Unfortunately, the culture of organ donation is low, so many people die waiting for a donor. Honestly, for the relatives of deceased people, it is not so easy to accept having their loved one’s organs removed, even though that would have been their will.
Something like this was what happened to Nazia Majeed, a 53-year-old English woman who lost her daughter Maham Majeed after she passed away abruptly at the young age of 21. It was not until then that she found out that her daughter had enrolled in the Organ Donor Program when she turned 18, as she had not told him.
Maham is described as a compassionate young woman, who always cared for others, even studying nursing at university. Although all her dreams were cut short with her death, her compassion did not end there, as she made her liver, kidneys, tissues and corneas available to people in need.
At first, accepting the idea of donating her daughter’s organs was very difficult, but Nazia also wanted to respect her last wish. Now the woman can say that she feels proud to make that decision, since because of her daughter she was able to give the gift of life and sight to other people.
My daughter is no more, but her organs have given the spark of life to other people. Maybe a daughter or a son; a wife or a husband; a brother or sister.
Also, Nazia takes great comfort knowing that her daughter, having such a noble heart, is somehow now living in the bodies of other people whose lives have been radically changed.
In England, more than four thousand people donated their organs after death between 2019 and 2021. With that, approximately ten thousand patients were benefited, either with a new lease of life or considerably improving it.
On the other hand, Nazia comments that one does not think much about the idea of becoming a donor and the great impact that such an altruistic action can have, much less when one is as young as Maham. Although she still has a strange feeling about the situation, she is proud of her daughter and happy to contribute something.
We know people waiting. Imagine receiving that call that tells you that an organ is available, it is an opportunity in life and the greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of life.
Due to this great contribution, Maham was posthumously awarded the Order of Saint John Award for Organ Donation. Her family attended the ceremony and she received the award with high esteem.
Finally, Nazia expresses that it is very important to generate and spread awareness about organ donation and how that decision can impact the lives of others, since there is no point in burying something that can give life.
Saving lives is more important than burying healthy organs.