Transplant Games in Canberra

This post is not part of the story I have written but because I had a very special experience today I want to share it with you.

I went to Floriade in Canberra today to attend the opening ceremony and parade of competitors in the 12^th Transplant Games.

I was blown away by the spirit and friendship I witnessed today.

A friend of mine is involved in these games as her husband is a kidney transplant recipient and it was Tahlei who first told me about them. Nick has competed in the games for many years now.

A lone piper led the parade and I was teary as the competitors marched past me but cried when the donor families marched past. I was surprised by the emotion I felt.

All of the competitors have had a transplant of some kind and these games are a celebration of their second chance at life. The Governor General Ms Quentin Bryce opened the games and encouraged us all to DISCOVER the facts about organ and tissue donation DECIDE about organ and tissue donation and DISCUSS your decision with family and friends.

It has been twenty years since my first cornea transplant and over three years since the surgery to remove them. At that time I went through a very difficult grieving process. My transplants were life changing for me and when I had the surgery to remove them I felt that I had lost a major part of me. I felt I had let my donor down as after so long my body had rejected the transplants. I know that was pretty irrational thinking but that was how I felt as the time.

I feel very strongly that tissue donation is as important as organ donation but doesn’t always get same attention in the media.

I wrote about my story and why I thought corneas were as sexy as hearts, lungs and kidneys and had the privilege of being published in 2007 in an anthology of transplant stories – mine was the only cornea story in the book!

I watched people of all ages today dancing and singing to the rock band at the concert following the ceremony. They were enjoying themselves so much I want to remind you all to DISCOVER, DECIDE AND DISCUSS!