Social Justice Matters - Blood and Organ Donation

It's easy to take our blood for granted. We have, on average, five litres pumping around our bodies taking oxygen and nutrients to our cells and tissue. We can, if we're healthy, easily afford to donate a fifth of that - one litre - at any one time. Some people desperately need blood donations - either to make life more manageable or even for their very survival. But what's the Catholic Church's position on blood and organ donation? A law change will come into force in England in 2020 whereby the system will change to 'opt out' or 'deemed consent'. This means that every patient who dies is considered a potential organ donor if they are eligible. In this first ever 'Social Justice Matters' podcast, we discuss the law change, what we'd encourage you to do and speak to the remarkable Mary Adeturinmo who has sickle cell anaemia and needs blood transfusions on a regular basis to cope with episodes of extreme pain and to ease the symptoms of the condition. 'Social Justice Matters' is a podcast series from the Department for Social Justice of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.