Heartwarming coordination for life

May 8 was the 70th World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, during which Li Liwei, an organ donation coordinator at the Red Cross Society of China, Jilin Branch, promoted the awareness of organ donation among citizens in the streets.

"I wish everyone could know more about, and participate in, human organ donation, and make contributions to the continuation of life in another form," she said.

According to statistics released by the Red Cross Society of China, there are about 1.5 million organ failure patients in China per year, 300,000 among whom are able to accept organ transplant treatment, but only about 10,000 patients can actually receive such cures.

The number of organ transplants performed in China exceeded 15,000 in 2016, with an increase of more than 50 percent compared with 2015, when organ donation from voluntary civilian organ donors became the only legitimate source of transplantable organs.

The rising public awareness of organ donation in China has contributed to the emergence of a new profession -- organ donation coordinator.

To date, China has more than 1,500 organ donation coordinators acting as liaisons with frontline staff at the country's hospitals to build a bridge of life between the deceased and the patients. Their main tasks are to approach families of potential donors and clear the way for the donation procedures.

Li Liwei has coordinated and witnessed 230 cases of human organ donation since she became an organ donation coordinator in 2011 and was named as a national outstanding organ donation coordinator in 2016.

She said she believes that only a loving and patient person with a strong sense of responsibility, incredible inner strength, and sympathy can be competent for the job.

Time is so precious after organ donors' hearts stop beating since it only allows a limited time for adequate blood supply to the organ. Therefore, Li Liwei often has to toil day and night to go through all the donation formalities as soon as possible.

She once traveled more than 100 kilometers in one evening to get a signed permission paper from the donor's family member.

"All the hardships are worthwhile when I hear that someone get a new lease on life with the gifted organ," Li said.

More and more Chinese people became willing to become potential body or organ donors and the number of people who have registered to become volunteers for organ or body donation in China reached 219,365 by March 6, 2017, according to the China Organ Donation Administrative Center.