CAIRO – Though he lost his own son, Issam Abu Tawileh is proud that his beloved son has set an example for others to follow. “We are happy that others benefited from his organs,” Abu Tawileh told The National daily on Sunday, December 27.
“By his death he changed the course of life for five others.”
His 22-year-old son, Abdullah, a medical school student, died from a stroke earlier this month. He was pronounced clinically dead by doctors.
Despite his pains, the bereaved father decided to fulfil his son’s wish, donating his corneas, kidneys and liver to five Jordanians.
“I asked a religious scholar if it was OK to remove the plugs,” Abu Tawileh said, holding a photo of his son.
“I didn’t want him to suffer. And without thinking I told doctors I wanted to donate his organs.”
Fighting back his tears, Abu Tawileh recalls when he was first told by his son about his wish to donate his organs after his death.
Donating an Organ after Death Islam's View on Organ Transplants and Donations “We were sitting together and he told me ‘Dad, if anything happens to me, I would like to help others.’,” he recalled.
“I thought he was talking about giving his money to the poor, but he was talking about his organs. So I kicked him with my leg, teasing him the way I usually do.”
Legacy
Abdullah’s organ donation has spurred thousands of Jordanians to express desire to donate organs after their death.
“I am proud of my son,” he said, after 6,600 Jordanians offered to donate their organs after death.
There are estimated 2,505 Jordanians seeking live-saving transplants.
However, there are only between 250 to 300 who donate their organs every year.
“The supply is short,” said Ahmed Shaker, deputy director of The Society to Promote Organ Donations.
“We do not have a culture of organ donation due to the lack of awareness on how important they are in saving people’s lives.”
Shaker blames lack of knowledge and awareness for the poor organ donations in the Arab country.
"People do not understand what a brain-dead case means,” he said.
Jordan was the first country to declare a brain-dead person as legally dead in 1986.
“There are also religious misconceptions on whether organised religion sanctions organ donation, even though we confirmed in several of our seminars it is an act of philanthropy and fatwas already authorised it.
“Sometimes people say how am I going to see when God revives me after death? Am I going to be without my eyes?”
For Abu Tawileh, he has never been prouder of his son than now.
“What he got after his death is something he would not get in life,” he said.
“He was an excelling student who was going to graduate this year. He got so much praise from his friends that I didn’t realise how popular he was at university and how much he was loved.
“His funeral procession was so huge. I wish I had known my son more,” he said.
“He has left his legacy behind and set an example for others to follow.”
Source: IslamOnline
“By his death he changed the course of life for five others.”
His 22-year-old son, Abdullah, a medical school student, died from a stroke earlier this month. He was pronounced clinically dead by doctors.
Despite his pains, the bereaved father decided to fulfil his son’s wish, donating his corneas, kidneys and liver to five Jordanians.
“I asked a religious scholar if it was OK to remove the plugs,” Abu Tawileh said, holding a photo of his son.
“I didn’t want him to suffer. And without thinking I told doctors I wanted to donate his organs.”
Fighting back his tears, Abu Tawileh recalls when he was first told by his son about his wish to donate his organs after his death.
Donating an Organ after Death Islam's View on Organ Transplants and Donations “We were sitting together and he told me ‘Dad, if anything happens to me, I would like to help others.’,” he recalled.
“I thought he was talking about giving his money to the poor, but he was talking about his organs. So I kicked him with my leg, teasing him the way I usually do.”
Legacy
Abdullah’s organ donation has spurred thousands of Jordanians to express desire to donate organs after their death.
“I am proud of my son,” he said, after 6,600 Jordanians offered to donate their organs after death.
There are estimated 2,505 Jordanians seeking live-saving transplants.
However, there are only between 250 to 300 who donate their organs every year.
“The supply is short,” said Ahmed Shaker, deputy director of The Society to Promote Organ Donations.
“We do not have a culture of organ donation due to the lack of awareness on how important they are in saving people’s lives.”
Shaker blames lack of knowledge and awareness for the poor organ donations in the Arab country.
"People do not understand what a brain-dead case means,” he said.
Jordan was the first country to declare a brain-dead person as legally dead in 1986.
“There are also religious misconceptions on whether organised religion sanctions organ donation, even though we confirmed in several of our seminars it is an act of philanthropy and fatwas already authorised it.
“Sometimes people say how am I going to see when God revives me after death? Am I going to be without my eyes?”
For Abu Tawileh, he has never been prouder of his son than now.
“What he got after his death is something he would not get in life,” he said.
“He was an excelling student who was going to graduate this year. He got so much praise from his friends that I didn’t realise how popular he was at university and how much he was loved.
“His funeral procession was so huge. I wish I had known my son more,” he said.
“He has left his legacy behind and set an example for others to follow.”
Source: IslamOnline
