Aragon saves 155 lives in one year through organ donation: “It’s like being born again”

A total of 155 people in Aragon have had their lives saved thanks to an organ transplant. Behind each of them is an altruistic gesture : 49 people who decided to donate their organs after death, and another six who offered their kidneys while still alive. In total, 55 donations have changed the fate of dozens of patients on the waiting list, clinging to a hope that sometimes fades.

Every first Wednesday in June, Spain celebrates National Organ and Tissue Donor Day. A day to remember that, beyond the numbers, there are lives that go on, families who are finding their loved ones back, and patients who 
are breathing again without machines or living without pain. It is also a silent but essential tribute to those who said “yes” to giving life even when they no longer had it.

DONATION, A CHAIN ​​OF LIFE

The organizing bodies of National Donor Day— the National Transplant Organization (ONT), the Union of Solid Organ Transplant Recipients (UTxS), and FEDER—remind everyone that a single donation can help save up to eight lives in the case of organs, and improve the quality of life of many more in the case of tissues such as bone marrow.

Currently, people can donate their hearts, lungs, livers, kidneys, intestines, and pancreases . It’s also possible to donate tissues such as corneas, bones, skin, tendons, and blood vessels, as well as bone marrow. “A single donor can save many lives“, says Javier Arreondo, president of the Association of Liver Patients and Transplant Recipients. He knows what he’s talking about, because he, too, was one of those patients who lived glued to the phone, waiting for a call that would give them back their lives. 

“IT’S LIKE GETTING OFF DEATH ROW”

Javier uses a stark but vivid image : “Being on the waiting list is like being arrested one day and put on death row without knowing when, how, or why. And suddenly, when you see yourself at the end, they tell you there’s a way to save you. They set you free. And you have hope again.”

In his case, the cause was liver disease . Unlike other organs like the kidney or heart, there’s no replacement machine for the liver, so the only alternative was a transplant. “When you’re on the list, you know that if it doesn’t arrive in time, you don’t even have a year to live ,” he summarizes.

Fortunately, in Aragon, waiting times are relatively short, but physical deterioration is unstoppable. “Every day you have more limitations, your body fails. That’s why, when that organ arrives, it’s like being reborn. There are transplant recipients who go back to their jobs, their routines, their normal lives. A colleague sums it up very well: you go from counting the days you have left to counting the days you’re living.”

TWO BIRTHDAYS, ONE NEW LIFE

“Since then , I’ve had two birthdays ,” says Javier. His own and the day of his transplant. “I can celebrate both thanks to the transplant.” In his case, his recovery was quick and uneventful: he was out of the hospital in just 16 days . “The usual is about four weeks. Of course, there may be more difficult cases, but I was lucky .”

Beyond the medical aspect, Javier emphasizes the emotional aspect. He emphasizes how something as difficult as someone’s death can transform into another’s salvation. And how important it is to make it clear: “The easiest thing is to talk about it as a family. At a meal, a meeting… to say that you want to be a donor. Because if you don’t put it in writing, they’ll be the ones who have to decide for you.” Often, that prior silence generates rejection . “It’s scary to talk about death. But we’re all going to die. And if you’ve made your position clear, the family respects it; always.”

INFORM, ACCOMPANY, RELIEVE

The Association of Liver Patients and Transplant Recipients of Aragon not only provides information, but also supports. They care for patients on the waiting list, explain the process, reassure families, and visit newly transplanted patients at the Hospital Clínico. “You have to understand that it’s not just any medical option. It’s either get a transplant or die”. They also do preventive work: “More than 50% of kidney transplants are caused by alcohol. People don’t know this. That’s why we’re so insistent on providing information”.

Javier insists that talking about donation should be a natural thing. “In Aragon, we are very supportive; we have an 85% acceptance rate for donation , but there are still people who, due to cultural beliefs or lack of knowledge, have doubts. And it’s no longer for religious reasons, because almost all religions accept transplants . ”

A NECESSARY TRIBUTE

This Wednesday, organ donor and transplant patient associations in Aragon have organized various activities to commemorate National Day. There will be information booths at various locations throughout the region, awareness-raising meetings, and a joint reading of a manifesto recognizing the ” enormous courage and generosity ” of donors and their families.

The event is promoted by the Union of Solid Organ Transplant Recipients (UTxS ), which is made up of the National Federation of Kidney Patients (Alcer), the Spanish Cystic Fibrosis Federation , the Spanish Federation of Heart Transplant Recipients , and the National Federation of Liver Patients and Transplant Recipients.

A network of organizations that, like Javier, don’t just celebrate this day. They live it every day. Because they know that, thanks to someone who said “yes,” they’re still here today.