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When Suzette Meyer lit 21 candles on a winter’s evening this July, she wasn’t mourning her husband Warren’s passing. Instead, she was celebrating life: 21 lives that had been changed through his final act of generosity – being an organ and tissue donor.
It had been exactly one year since Warren’s sudden death. He was declared brain dead by doctors at Fourways Life Hospital after he suffered a cardiac arrest in July of 2024. But Suzette and their three daughters chose not to focus on grief.
“I don’t believe in celebrating the anniversary of death. I’d rather celebrate the recipients, because that’s the day they got a second chance.”
Warren, who was 42 years old at the time of his death, had been a registered organ donor for two decades. “The doctors gave me two options: an autopsy or organ donation. I didn’t skip a beat. I knew what Warren would have wanted: to save lives.”
And save lives he did. His organs, skin, tissue, corneas, blood vessels and bones were donated to 21 recipients.
One of the first recipients was a 23-year-old chemical engineering student who had only days to live. Today, she is back at university, thriving, thanks to Warren’s liver.
At Fourways Life Hospital, Warren’s final journey included what is known as a Walk of Honour. Family, friends, colleagues, and healthcare workers lined the corridors to pay tribute as he was wheeled into the theatre.
“It felt like he was the first organ donor ever. The pride and respect in that moment… it carried us through.”
Low donor rates
But Warren was one in a million. South Africa has one of the lowest organ donor rates in the world – only 1.6 registered donors per 1 million people. This amounts to fewer than 100 actual organ donors per year.
According to the Organ Donor Foundation (ODF), there are around 4,300 people, including both adults and children, on waiting lists. The majority are waiting for kidneys. Yet fewer than 300 organ transplants are performed each year.
“This is a serious concern considering that our country is facing one of the highest rates of chronic kidney disease worldwide, driven largely by diabetes, high blood pressure, and HIV,” says Stella de Kock, the managing director at Transplant Education for Living Legacies (TELL), a non-profit organisation that educates the public and medical professionals about organ and tissue donation.
“That is why TELL is shining a light on the most vulnerable patients of all: children living with chronic kidney disease. For these young patients, organ donation, whether from a living donor or a deceased donor, can mean the difference between years of invasive dialysis and the chance to live a full, healthy life.”
Why organ donations are so low
The reasons for the low donation rates are complex.
“In South Africa we have a huge problem with the lack of referrals of potential donors from hospitals to transplant centres. These referrals do not happen frequently enough,” explains Samantha Nicholls, the executive director of operations at the ODF.
The country also faces a shortage of ICU beds, ventilators and staff trained in donor management.
“Low consent rates are another problem. Families do not feel comfortable or they do not know enough about organ and tissue donation and do not say yes to donation,” Nicholls explains. This highlights the need for more transplant coordinators who can approach the families in the hospitals.
Other challenges are related to low registration rates, which are largely driven by the lack of awareness and education about organ and tissue donation as well as the process of signing up as a potential donor.
“We find that certain people who are exposed to the message frequently, sign up as donors. However, as a non-profit who does not receive government funding, we are limited in financial and human resources to reach all South Africans,” says Nicholls.
“Many individuals mistakenly believe that their cultural or religious beliefs do not support organ and tissue donation. In some cases, culture or religion is used to shut down the conversation (conversation stopper) altogether.”
Nicholls stresses that these misconceptions can only be overcome through respectful dialogue and targeted education.
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Suzette believes the key is to normalise the conversation.
“You can’t just put it in your will; your family needs to know your wishes, because they’re the ones who will make the final call. Talk about it openly. Tell your partner, your parents, your children. Don’t leave it unspoken,” she says.
“Sign up. It takes a minute, but it could mean a lifetime for someone else. What greater gift can you leave behind than life itself?” – Health-e News
