First Voluntary Organ Donation in the South of Serbia

I learned about the possibility of organ donation at quite an early age, as I had someone in my environment who had a lung transplant. Most people do not have anyone near them who has either received or donated an organ, so when a death occurs suddenly, the families of the deceased are in a state of shock, and organ donation is not something that will come to their mind first.

My grandmother had a traffic accident on June 2, 2015. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with brain death due to a brain hemorrhage. The death was imminent; we just didn't know when exactly it will happen. For the family, it was a state of great agony because you are just waiting for the moment to be told that death has occurred.

In the meantime, we thought of organ donation as an option. As a family, we sat down and discussed it and realized that it would also be in line with the way she had lived her life. We contacted the Clinical Center in Niš and asked if this was possible. Until then, no one had ever asked them about it!

On June 6, 2015, grandma’s organs were donated, and it was the first voluntary organ donation in the South of Serbia. There was none before it, and it was a terrifying information for me. Four lives were saved. The heart, liver and both kidneys were donated, because she was a healthy woman. For us, that act, which turns the senselessness of a tragic event into a heroic act, saving other people’s lives, eased the pain. The fact that her heart is beating somewhere is proof that the decision was good and correct.

Donating organs is extremely important. For people waiting for an organ, it is crucial, it is the most important thing in their life, as it determines their survival. And for the families donating organs, I think it is a significant moment, because it is an opportunity for the family to get something positive out of death and to save lives, turning a tragic event into a heroic act.

We, in Serbia lack the awareness about how organ donation saves the lives of other people. The number of donations is decreasing, while the number of people waiting for organs is increasing. As a family, we still feel the duty to talk about this and raise awareness among people.

Find out more about the Most Important Call in Life campaign at www.najvaznijipoziv.rs