Pupils to debate organ donation
Wednesday 20 January 2010
The family of a young girl who donated her organs for transplant after a brain haemorrhage were on hand today for the launch of a new Scottish organ donation teaching pack. Eleven-year-old Rachel Warden's story is one of three featured in a video which accompanies the revised pack and is being distributed to all Scottish secondary schools. Rachel's family said they wanted to be involved with the education pack to help more young people understand the issue.
The resource was launched by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon at Clydebank High School - the school attended by Rachel's brother and which Rachel herself was due to attend. As well as Rachel's story, the video features two other real life stories from families who have been affected in some way by organ donation, a transplant surgeon, an intensive care consultant and a donor transplant co-ordinator who works with hospital staff and donor families.
Ms Sturgeon said: "No-one wants to think about their own death but it is important that young people throughout Scotland learn about the realities of organ donation. From the age of 12, they can decide for themselves whether they want to donate their organs in the event of their death. By raising awareness of donation and transplantation, dispelling the myths behind the medical science and discussing the ethics, we can ensure they are able to make an informed choice."
The pack provides teachers with lesson plans and resources covering the science behind transplants and organ donation. It also covers the medical issues which can lead to the need for a transplant, transplant laws, including the impact of opting out legislation, and information on ethical and religious debates.
The original Organ Donation Teaching Resource Pack was issued in 2003, and was also widely used across a number of subjects. Since it was issued, there have been a number of significant developments, including the Human Tissue Scotland (2006) Act and the 2008 reports by the UK Organ Donation Taskforce.