Australian family supports transplant program

The family of an Australian man who died while in Shanghai said they will donate money to support organ donation in China. They said they wanted to find a way to support the program after their decision to donate the man's organs could not be fulfilled because of a paperwork delay.

"Through our experience in recent days, we found that organ donation in China today is really to be commended," said Myfanwy Storey, daughter of Ken Storey, 74, who died on June 7.

She said they had not decided on a specific amount for the donation, but her father's extended family had all decided to contribute.

"We don't have a preference for how the money will be used. We just want to make sure that the foundation continues and it has funds to do what is needed to continue saving lives," Myfanwy Storey said regarding the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation.

The private, nonprofit foundation, which supports the organ donation program in China, was started in 2010. China ended its reliance on prisoners' organs in 2015, making voluntary citizen donations the only legal source for organ transplantation.

The Storey family knew little about China's organ donation program when Ken Storey arrived in China with his wife for a visit in mid-May. He had a heart attack on May 30 and was admitted to Tongren Hospital in the city. His son and two daughters were notified and flew from Australia.

A coordinator with Renji Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, who was responsible for talking with potential organ donators in area hospitals approached the family when Ken Storey's condition declined on June 6.

The family decided to donate Storey's organs because they thought "our father would be committed to it, as he was a generous man and he loved people." The family had never discussed organ donation before, Myfanwy Storey said. Ken Storey had worked in a pathology laboratory.

After a medical evaluation, a doctor told them that his liver and kidneys could be donated, potentially saving the lives of three recipients.

"It was devastating to us that we lost our father. It also is tragic for the three (recipient) families that their loved ones have serious diseases and a poor quality of life, so our decision could change their lives forever," said Myfanwy Storey.

However, the donation could not be made because paperwork could not be completed during the time the organs were viable. The family had not brought required documents with them, such as marriage and birth certificates, when they had rushed to Shanghai.

"If there is one thing that we can take from this experience, it is to encourage people to discuss organ donation with their families. It is difficult for a family to begin to think about organ donation after suddenly losing a loved one," Myfanwy Storey said.

Ken Storey's three children all said they decided after their father's death that they would want to be organ donors.

The China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation said 10 foreigners from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, the Philippines and Greece have donated organs in China.

Zhang Jidong, vice-president of Renji Hospital, suggested passage of legislation to standardize organ donation requirements for foreigners since existing legislation only sets out requirements for donations from Chinese citizens.

The foundation said 1.32 million Chinese citizens had registered to be organ donors as of May. Organs were transplanted from more than 6,000 deceased donors in 2018.