When it comes to organ donations, Kate Jakes understand its importance well. Diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that attacks her liver rather than the infection, she has already received 3 liver transplants within the last 5 years, all of which led to failure. Today she's waiting for her fourth, and time is closing in on her.
It was around June 2015 when Jakes, 22, collapsed in the home she shared with her husband, Gareth, in a Royal Air Force base in Birmingham. She was immediately brought to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where it was discovered that Olivia, the name she had given to her third transplanted liver, had a blood clot and had shut down. She was immediately placed in intensive care.
Jakes had her first transplant before she turned 18. Her condition was so severe she could die within the next 2 days. Thus, she was placed in priority list until she found a match from Ireland. Despite the crash the plane that carried the organ met, she was successfully operated, only for the organ to turn necrotic after a few days.
She received her second as soon as possible. After 6 months, however, her body rejected it. After months in the hospital, she received her third.
Now she's waiting for her fourth, but there's a snag. According to the latest reports on UK's organ donations, the number of donated organs fell by 5%, the lowest it has been for the last 10 years.
For this reason, Jakes has been actively campaigning for registration, raising awareness, and promoting the benefits of organ donations in her Facebook page and blog. She stresses how a donation can help save a life, not only her own.
In the meantime, she waits. While she keeps herself upbeat and positive, she also tries to be realistic in case she doesn't receive the transplant she needed.