Melina

Melina talks about her experiences talking about organ donation with her family, and why she wants more people from Black and Asian ethnic background to consider becoming organ donors.

Talking about organ donation with my family was tricky. I decided that I wanted to register as an organ donor, but sharing this decision was met with confusion and disagreement by my family. For them, organ donation is associated with negative stories of trafficking and organ harvesting. It was a tough conversation, but I explained that organ donation is about saving lives and that there is a shortage of organs for people of black ethnicity. I think we need to raise awareness and breakdown the myths and fears associated with organ donation.

I know that organ donation can save lives, and I want to make sure that if I was in a position to donate, that this would be respected. I want my family to understand and respect my decision, so that if I am in a position to donate, they will support this. We talked through the facts about organ donation, what it would involve, and why I want to donate to help others. They understand it is my decision.