We start off by knowing that 90% of the public is very pro organ donation. But, of course, what tends to happen is people get asked about organ donors and whether or not someone wants to be an organ donor in a very pressured situation. The situation where there was somebody who knew they were dying of a brain tumour and could think about what they wanted to happen and had that time to do that is a slightly unusual situation. Of course, most people find that the questions about organ donation come at a time of tragedy. Often somebody has died within a family, perhaps really very suddenly. And they’re going through that whole tragic time. They’re having to make difficult decision about the care of that individual, and then they are approached about questions of organ donation. And that’s so difficult. That’s a time when you don’t want to be asked another question, you don’t even want to be asked whether you have sugar in your tea, you know. And at that stage you’re being asked a very difficult question: would you want this person to go on and be an organ donor?

And basically what you then want to know is would that person have wanted to be a donor? And so much of the publicity and the programs and projects that we have been involved with over the last number of years is getting people to think about this issue well ahead of time, before that tragedy occurs, before it becomes a very emotionally laden decision. And you can say, ‘I want this to happen.’ Or alternatively, ‘I don’t want this to happen.’ And the family then know for sure what the situation should be. And they are able to act in your best interest.