Islander praises Guernsey's new opt-out organ donation system for giving 'precious gift of life'

• Video report by ITV Channel TV's Roisin Gauson

An islander who has recently benefitted from a life-saving kidney transplant hopes Guernsey's new opt-out organ donation system will give others the 'precious gift of life'.

Kristy Le Quesne, who works as a Production Specialist at ITV Channel TV in Jersey, had been living with chronic renal failure for the past 15 years.

She joined the organ donation waiting list in June, and was able to have surgery just two weeks later.

Kristy said: "Before the new system came in, it could have been months or years before I got a transplant. With the new system, I got a kidney in a fortnight.

"It made such a big difference. The availability of new organs now because of the new system is making such a difference to people’s lives.

"It’s given me the chance of a second life, it’s given me energy, it’s given me freedom and I’m so grateful for that precious gift I got."

The new law came into force on 1 January, and means islanders will now automatically be registered to donate their organs after death unless they express wishes otherwise.

It's a system that's been running in the UK since 2020.

Guernsey's former President of Health and Social Care, Deputy Heidi Soulsby, said: "It’s been a long time coming.

"There’s been a lot of work put in by a lot of people to get the organ donation scheme in and I’m really delighted. 

"It will make a difference for islanders – but the real advantage here is that because we are part of the UK system when it comes to organ donation, not only islanders benefit, but people in the UK."

Dr David McColl, Clinical Lead for Organ Donation Guernsey, says it's important for islanders to have these conversations with their loved ones now.

Dr McColl said: "What I would urge everybody to do, even though we are moving to an opt out system is still to make your decision known to relatives and by registering it with the National Organ Donor Register.

"Despite the fact that there is an opt out system, families will always be spoken to in circumstances where their relative could become an organ donor and they’ll be asked if they know what their relatives views were.

"We always take into account what the families say and we would always take into account what a potential donor’s wishes were."

Although organ donation has given Kristy a second chance, she says she still carries an element of guilt with her everyday.

Kristy said: "The guilt I feel, that someone lost their life to save mine is still overwhelming me. I still struggle with that every day. It’s still something that I can’t cope with very well. 

"I really do struggle with the fact that someone died so that I can live and I’m so grateful to that person.

"It’s such, such a precious gift of life that they’ve given me because I would have been dead in a couple of years if they hadn’t done that, and I know that is a fact. 

"There are so many people out there who will die if they do not get organs and this change means that those people will now live.

"I cannot tell you just how grateful and appreciative I am to have had that chance to be able to live and get on with my life, be with my family and loved ones and work, it’s just made a huge difference."

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