How to be an organ donor in Catalunya

Do you want to be an organ donor? Cecília Pallares Llaó, who is here today thanks to a liver transplant, explains how anyone who lives in Catalunya can help save a life after their own ends.

In 2017, I will celebrate my tenth birthday. Well, actually, it will be my 40^th.

Am I a crazy woman? No, I’m a liver-transplanted woman.

Just after I gave birth to my daughter ten years ago my liver failed (due to medication-induced fulminant hepatitis) and I was given a liver transplant. The first transplant failed, so I had another one afterwards. I nearly didn’t get to know my daughter. But I survived, thanks to courage, generosity and amazing love from donors and their families.

Cecília and her daughter

Since then, every day of my life, I say thank you for being alive and being able to share every minute with my daughter. I thank countless times the families who donated the organs of their loved ones.

It is for this reason that I want to talk about how you can be a donor too.

Tell your family

The easiest way to be an organ donor is to explain to your family your desire to be a donor if you die. Because at that moment, the doctors will ask your direct family and they will have to take their word as the last word.

You can also fill in an organ donor card, which explains your wishes. But, although this helps the doctors to take a decision, it doesn’t over-rule what your family says.

There is more information on the website of the Generalitat of Catalunya here (in English) . You can also download and complete a donor card on this page.

A living will

Alternatively, you can include your wishes about organ donation a legal document called a Living Will (‘Registre de voluntats anticipades’ in Catalan). This can also outline the care that you want to receive if you suffer an incurable disease or disability.

The living will must be made in front of a notary or three independent witnesses. It must be made by a person of age of majority, with capacity and freedom to make these decisions.

There is more information about making a living will here (in Catalan).

However, remember that it will be your direct family who decide whether to follow the living will or not.

What do I have to do if I’m a foreign resident in Catalunya?

Nothing different if you are a resident of the European Community. If you pass away here, the law will apply to you in the same way. You can carry an organ donor card and have a living will document. However, your family will have the last word: try to convince them to respect your wishes.

For residents from outside the European Community, there may be agreements in place with your government. You will need to find out from your government what the specific situation is.

Organ donations in Spain and Catalunya

In order to donate organs or tissues, the donor has to die in hospital. The organisation in charge of this is the Organización Catalana de Trasplantes (OCATT).  The OCATT works with the Spain-wide Nacional Organización Nacional de Trasplantes (OCT).

Spain is the world leader in organ transplants, carrying out more than any other country for the past 25 years. In 2016, 4,818 organ transplants were carried out. This is a rate of more than 43 individual donors per million people (pmp) that year. The EU average is 19.6 and the US average is 26.6.  Spain’s model is followed by other countries and recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Spain is the world-leader in organ donation

In Catalunya too, 2016 was a record-breaking year with 315 valid donors. This was an increase of 23% and a rate of almost 42 donors per million people.

Thank you!

Finally, as you can see it’s not important where you are from or where you are living, the most important thing is your desire to be a donor. (If you don’t want to, don’t worry, nothing will happen.) If you say YES, I want to tell you something: thanks in the name of the life that perhaps one day you will save. A chance to give someone you will never know the chance to smile. Someone like me.

Cecília (left) at Tarragona’s Hospital Joan XXIII marking the Dia Nacional del Donante de Organos on 7 June 2017 with the area’s transplant co-ordinator Doctor Maria Bodí and other transplant recipients

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organ donation Organización Catalana de Trasplante Tarragona’s Hospital Joan XXIII world leader in organ transplants