Remembrance

Today is a difficult day, one year on from one of the worst days of my life, when my much loved cousin Claire passed away.
We were much closer than the title cousins suggests, we were like sisters.

Today a small group of family and friends went about the business of gathering to remember her, and to scatter her ashes.

Claire had two double lung transplants, the first when she was 19 years old back in 1995. After developing chronic rejection and obliterative bronchiolitis she was put back on the active transplant list and received her second double lung transplant in 2002. Claire was always grateful for the opportunity to live, and didn't waste a single precious moment.

She once said:
"Those transplants saved my life two times. I have been able to do awesome things during my extended life, just a few of these were:

Go to university and obtain a first class honours degree in biomedical science.
Go backpacking in America.
Compete in swimming events at the British Transplant Games.
Be an extra in the film 'The Queen'
Get married to the love of my life.."

Claire lived life in the front row and met every challenge in her life with absolute strength and tenacity.
She passed away peacefully with family and friends at her side. She was 38 years old.

Claire will be sorely missed by all of us who knew and loved her. We are so grateful to the donors, their families and the incredible team at Freemans Hospital in Newcastle. What a powerful legacy she has left behind. A short life lived to its fullest.

I would like to ask anyone reading this just one thing...if you aren't already an organ donor, please consider becoming one, and importantly, let your loved ones know you are a donor. I'm proud to be on the organ donor list, I've experienced first hand the impact this incredible gift can have. As a result of others generosity, we had 19 precious extra years with Claire in our lives.

Live life, Give life

https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk