case study feedback from questionnaire.

I am a 3^rd year illustration student and would like to base my dissertation on organ donation, hopefully the research I gain will help establish a way to make more people aware of organ donation and the importance of being on the organ donor register. My aim is to create illustrative work, which could be used in the form of a campaign to influence people to sign up. I hope my research will inform me about the type of campaign needed and will be most effective. I also hope to discover which minorities are in the low percentage on the donor register and therefore I should aim to target.

i would be most grateful if you would be willing to answer a few questions I have concerning organ donation from your personal experience. Any help or advice you could give me would be much appreciated!

The data you share with me will go into my research. No name, age or location will be given, and if at any time you want your data to be removed I will do so.

·       What organ transplant have you received?

Heart Transplant – May 1992

·       Why did you need this organ transplant?

I was born with a Tetralogy of Fallots. This means that the chambers within my heart weren't separated properly, oxygenated blood was mixing with non-oxygenated blood, meaning that my body was receiving oxygen to the brain or muscles etc properly. When I  was 9 months old they did a 'quick fix' – taking the arteries from my right arm to create pathways within the heart to help move the blood correctly. When I was 2.5  years old they did a 'full fix' to rebuild the walls of the chambers, during this surgery my hearts natural pacemaker was damaged, and I had to be fitted with an artificial one. Things were fine until I was 7, they had to replace the pacemaker as the batteries were flat. 1 year later I was extremely ill, the pacemaker had faulted, and in doing so had damaged my heart to a point beyond help. The only option was a heart transplant, when I received the heart I had around 2 months to live.

·       How old were you when you received this transplant?

I was 9 years and 10 months old.

·       How long were you waiting for your transplant?

Around 6 weeks. I had a false alarm one week after being put on the transplant week, sadly this first heart died before they could transplant it.

·       What impact has this had on your daily life, and people around you?

Daily I have to take medication, morning and night. In order to survive post transplant they have to suppress your immune system, so I suffer often from illnesses or I am affected more illness. 23 years on from my transplant I don't really know life without it, so the impact is normal now! People around me tend to be a bit wary, and often ask if i'm OK. Though they shouldnt worry, I run up and down mountains for fun these days.

·       Do you think organ donation is publicized enough?

I don't think there is any publication of organ donation outside the transplant unit in hospital, and the question on application for a driving license.

·       How do you think people can be encouraged to sign up?

Typically they need to be attached to someone who needs a transplant before they realize the distinct lack of donors available.

Personally I use social media to try and influence people, blogs and pictures of my mountain running exploits, showing people what can be achieved after a transplant, in the hopes that they will consider becoming donors. Something which has worked, as follows of my twitter and blog page have contacted to me to say that because of me they have signed up.

I think the problem lies in the fact that you have to sign up, and many are too lazy. If it was based on a system of opting out, the lazy wouldn't bother, and the number of prospective donors would be increased.

Thank you very much,

Rebecca Williamson

https://www.facebook.com/REW.illustration?ref=hl