ORGAN donors should be honoured with a public memorial at the Island’s new hospital, according to a politician.
Deputy Lucy Stephenson, who supported a loved one’s wish to become an organ donor, has lodged a proposition to have a memorial be included as part of the public art commitments at the new Acute Hospital at Overdale.
“Today in our community there are all kinds of people whose lives have been touched – in some cases transformed – by organ donation,” she said.
Deputy Stephenson added: “There are those whose lives have been saved were it not for the decisions of others, and their families, to donate.
“There are loved ones, such as myself and my own family, who have supported a relative’s wish to become an organ donor.
“And there are also living donors, who have selflessly donated kidneys or stem cells to loved ones and even strangers who may not be here without the transplants they made possible.
“Islanders who donate blood also make a valuable and important contribution, with their donations often saving lives and they too should be thanked and recognised.”
She is asking States Members to honour this group of Islanders with a piece of public art through the Percentage for Art scheme.
The funding mechanism encourages developers to allocate a percentage of project costs towards the provision of public art.
Deputy Stephenson said that organ donation memorials would be a way to give thanks to donors, promote the value of organ donation, and encourage “healthy conversation around personal wishes after death”.
She pointed to examples of other organ donation memorials – such as at the National Memorial Arboretum in Sheffield, Noble’s Hospital in the Isle of Man, and in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow – but emphasised that her proposition “does not seek to be prescriptive about what Jersey’s own memorial could or should look like”.
“This proposition simply asks for agreement that a proportion of that public art commitment should be focused on an organ donation memorial and for that concept to be ‘baked in’ to plans and proposals as the project progresses,” said Deputy Stephenson.
“I have no doubt that the consultation and development process organised by the hospital project team would be sensitive and thoughtful to the experiences and feelings of families impacted by loss and organ donation.”
Deputy Stephenson said that, following her consultation on the proposition, she has received assurances that there are intentions to include an organ donation memorial in the new hospital plans – but noted that a States Assembly decision “would help to avoid this falling off the radar’ for any reason”.
“I would expect this proposition, if approved, to apply to the current and any future incarnations of the new hospital project should the development not proceed as currently planned,” she added.
Deputy Stephenson concluded: “This proposition gives States Members the opportunity to show their support and thanks for Jersey’s organ donors in a positive, sensitive but hopefully uplifting way.”
An “opt-out” system for organ donation has been in place in the Island since April 2018.
Jersey is a part of the NHS organ donor register.
