One year on

Today is the anniversary of Isi's death. Except it isn't in one sense, because Isi was already gone before that, we just don't know when exactly. Today is just the day that all the tests and retests came back as showing no brain activity. Today is the day we first said goodbye to our little girl. And today is the day that we made the decision to donate her organs so I want to talk a little about that.

In total we donated organs to five other children. Whenever we can summon up the courage we ask the hospital for updates. As of the latest updates, all five children are still alive and doing well. All are out of hospital and some are back at school. It's very anonymous here, so I don't even know if they are boys or girls, what age or anything. But I hope we made a difference to their lives and those of their families. I realise that a donor organ is never as good or lasts as long as having your own fully functioning organ, and that these children will be on medication for life and will be more susceptible to illness and infection as a result. But it buys time, and it buys hope. That was all we wanted for Isi from her last operation. We didn't get it, but I am thankful that those children did. It doesn't give me any comfort, I would rather those organs were still be used by Isi, but I also know how those parents feel, watching your child struggling with something that makes a normal, healthy life impossible.

So today I'm thinking of Isi a lot, but I'm also trying to think of those children too. I hope their parents cherish the gift that we gave, because it came with the highest price possible for us.