Legacy of Life

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bigbuzzard
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Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:21 am
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Legacy of Life

Post by bigbuzzard »

I've just received this email from Sue Cansdale, one of the founders of 'Legacy of Life'. She and her husband Richard set this up after their daughter Zoe was killed in an accident, and they agreed to allow her organs to be donated. They've collected loads of amazing stories from other families in a similar situation. I asked her if I could post it here, and she said, "Yes you are most welcome to post my email on the kidney patients site. Maybe some would like to point their Church leaders to the item which says Organ Donation is a Christian Duty and help set up a meeting in their parish for discussing it."
There has been an interesting and exciting development during the past week.
One of this group, Pamela Hood, who edits her Church's magazine told me she had come across an item which said the Church of England and Church of Ireland Medical Ethics Team have said 'It is a Christian duty to offer ones organs for transplant' and that they would like all ministers to ask their parishioners to have a conversation with their famillies to learn their wishes on the subject.

A Google search by Richard led us to a charismatic Irishman called Brendan McCarthy. I emailed Brendan telling him we had heard of his report and would like to send him a very special book of personal stories which I knew would inspire people and help them make up their minds about organ donation. I told him that because of Jacqueline Golds generosity in printing 40,000 copies of Transforming Lives, we still had about 15,000 copies available which we would be delighted to have distributed free to as many Churches as possible.

Within the hour, Brendan had read all the stories on the Legacy of Life website and declared the book a 'Masterpiece'. He said he was eager to talk with us about the best way of distributing the books to Churches all over the UK. He also said that he and the Bishop of Carlisle would be holding a teaching day for 35 Hospital Chaplains of different faiths from all over the country. He asked if I could possibly come down and do a presentation on Transforming Lives, offering to pay my fare.

Richard and I went down last Monday and the meeting was a terrific success. All the Chaplains went away with copies of the book and since then we have been receiving requests for boxloads of copies to be sent, along with a request to do a similar presentation in Liverpool next March.
This is a terrific breakthrough because the Church's own network will be able to get huge numbers of Transforming Lives to exactly where they can be most useful in generating discussion in Church groups.
As we know from our own experience with Zoe", one conversation within one's family is all it takes.

Brendan and the Bishop of Carlisle are keen to meet with us again after Christmas to work out how best this can be effected.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and an exciting year to come.

Sue Cansdale
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