"No donation, only ashes left when cremated"
"Donate, can save more people and families"
……
As the "pillar of the pillar" of the family of five, Zhang Qijin was unfortunately killed by a car accident, and when he bid farewell, in the face of routine inquiries about organ donation, the family members reached an agreement and decided to continue his virtue of helping others before his death and send the "gospel" to the five patients. At 5 a.m. on February 8, the corridor outside the ICU of Pinghe County Hospital was dimly lit, and Zhang Jinhua, 46, opened her mouth in vain, crying and constantly comparing sign language. She and her three children are waiting to see her husband for the last time. Children are 17 years old at the oldest and less than 11 years old.
More than half a month ago, the child's father, 54-year-old Zhang Qijin, was unfortunately in a car accident and was rushed to the intensive care department of Pinghe County Hospital. Despite all-out treatment, Zhang Qijin eventually died of severe brain injury. If there is no miracle, after a few tens of minutes, it will become the final freeze-frame period of his life. The family decided to donate organs, donating Zhang Qijin's heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and corneas. The remains are then cremated and buried in their hometown.
The family said goodbye to Zhang Qijin
At the moment when Zhang Qijin, who was covered in a catheter, was pushed out, Zhang Jinhua hugged her husband and cried bitterly, and the three children shouted their father over and over again.
After 20 minutes, when the polyline on the life monitor was flattened a little bit, Zhang Qijin's life trajectory came to an abrupt end. Doctors and staff recovered from the silence. Doctors spent more than an hour to retrieve livers, kidneys and corneas that could save others, and then restore the remains.
Medical staff transport the obtained organs
At the same time, in the major organ transplant centers in Shanghai, Xiamen and other places, there are 3 patients with end-stage organ failure waiting for surgery. According to the results of the previous distribution of the system, the obtained organs are sent by medical staff to Shanghai, Xiamen and other places through the green channel, and delivered to the transplant hospitals assigned by the system at the fastest speed.
For Zhang Qijin, this day is the end of life, but for patients receiving organ transplants and their families, it is the beginning of a new life.
Things have to be detailed from the beginning.
January 19, 2022, was originally the day of the reunion of Zhang Qijin's family. At about 14:00 on the same day, Zhang Qijin rushed to Jiufeng Town on a motorcycle to pick up his eldest daughter Zhang Longfeng.
Zhang Longfeng, 17, attends Pinghe County No. 2 Middle School, which is just over 40 kilometers away from home, but the round-trip fare is 80 yuan. On weekdays, in order to save money, she comes home once a month. On this day, the family is looking forward to the winter vacation of the eldest daughter. Just when the mother and younger siblings at home were busy greeting Zhang Longfeng, a bad news came.
Not far from home, The motorcycle driven by Zhang Qijin collided with a van. Zhang Qijin was comatose on the spot due to head injury, and the father and daughter were rushed to Pinghe County Hospital. After timely treatment, Zhang Longfeng, who was less injured, turned the crisis into safety. But Zhang Qijin never woke up again.
That night, his wife Zhang Jinhua rushed to Pinghe County Hospital. With the support of his brother Zhang Jinsheng, they entered the ward to visit Zhang Qijin. "At that time, my brother-in-law was unconscious, and no matter whether he spoke or pinched his arms, there was no response." Zhang Jinsheng said. Zhang Jinhua cried several times and fainted.
That night, EEG monitoring showed that Zhang Qijin's brain function was rapidly decaying. Zhang Qijin is the pillar of the family, usually relying on a little income from the field and doing some handyman outside to support the family. His wife, Zhang Jinhua, is deaf and mute and has limited ability to work. There are also three children in school.
Medical staff took Zhang Qijin to the operating room
Although they only rely on ventilators to maintain the last line of life, the family is not willing to give up. Through the patchwork, borrowed 100,000 yuan, maintaining Zhang Qijin's treatment. "The brother-in-law never woke up again, the situation became more and more serious, and then there was no independent breathing." After several days of rescue, the doctor told them that Zhang Qijin was actually in a state of brain death, and as long as the life support was removed, brain death would quickly turn into heart death.
When it was time to consider the aftermath, the hospital's ICU doctors routinely conducted an organ donation inquiry. Zhang Jinsheng tried to discuss this idea with his sister Zhang Jinhua. Zhang Jinhua cried and shook her head desperately. According to the tradition of their hometown, no matter how a person dies, the body must be preserved intact and die with dignity.
"No donation, only ashes remain when cremated." Donating can save more people and families. My brother-in-law has been helpful. No matter how big or small, he was eager to help. I believe that if he can make a decision, he will definitely donate. Zhang Jinsheng analyzed the stakes with his sister Zhang Jinhua and Zhang Qijin's brother. Later, after Zhang Jinsheng, Zhang Qijin's brother repeatedly communicated with Zhang Jinhua, Zhang Jinhua nodded acquiescence.
After learning of Zhang Qijin's situation, Andy Lau, head of OPO at Xiang'an Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University, immediately put down his work and rushed to Pinghe County Hospital. "The coordination success rate of organ donation is only 10%, and 9 out of 10 people disagree." Andy Lau soon had a tentative contact with Zhang Qijin's family, which deeply touched him.
Zhang Qijin's situation is relatively special, his parents are no longer there, his wife is deaf and mute, and his three children are minors. Although he is not very old, Zhang Longfeng understands that his father's organs can save more people. "My dad was a warm-hearted man, very frugal with himself, but very generous to others. Usually, the village asked him to help, and he often did not even take the salary. Now that he is gone, we are in pain, but we hope that Dad's organs can save others, let other people's families out of the shadows, and not suffer like our family. In the eyes of the child, the father Zhang Qijin is an ordinary "unsung hero". This is also the best education that Zhang Qijin left to the children.
Zhang Longfeng is 17 years old and has not yet reached the legal age of adulthood. Mother Zhang Jinhua is deaf and mute. "We need to get the consent of other immediate family members. The more people doctors have to communicate with, the more time and energy they spend. Han Yanfen is also the OPO organ coordinator of Xiang'an Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University, and she is well aware of the complexity and difficulties of this work. In this process, she and Andy Lau work together to do the ideological work of the patient's family, explain the relevant laws and regulations, improve the relevant legal procedures, and constantly pay attention to the patient's situation.
Although the coordination work is complicated, after contacting Zhang Qijin's other relatives, Andy Lau and Han Yanfen's hearts are very moved. "Although the family has a difficult life, their ideological realm is very high." When it was learned that the condition was lacking, Zhang Qijin's family agreed to donate.
The race against time begins. Since then, Andy Lau and Han Yanfen have accelerated the pace of work. Since February 6, the two have taken turns to observe the patient's condition every half hour, while communicating with the patient's family, the hospital, and the Red Cross to prepare for the signing of the organ donation legal document.
Zhang Jinhua's family officially signed the legal document of organ donation
On February 7, the coordination of organ donation began to enter a substantive stage. In the afternoon of the same day, Andy Lau always observed the patient's situation and made final communication with the patient's family. Subsequently, witnessed by the staff of the Red Cross, Zhang Jinhua's family officially signed the legal instrument of organ donation.
Andy Lau did not feel relaxed, but more nervous. "Organ retrieval is time-critical, and patients must be operated on immediately after they die, otherwise the organs will be damaged and cannot be used."
In the conference room of Pinghe County Hospital, Han Yanfen and Red Cross staff comforted Zhang Qijin's family. In another office, Andy Lau raced against the clock to upload the donor's organ data to the "China Organ Allocation and Sharing System", find a new owner for the organ, and notify the acquisition team to prepare for organ acquisition surgery at any time.
According to the principle of distribution, it will be shared according to the municipal, provincial and national levels. After clicking Assign, a message appears on the screen in a few seconds that the system matches the top five waiting organ transplant patients. At the same time, the clock in the system begins to count down one hour. "The organs to be acquired are automatically matched by the COTRS system, and the transplant center chooses whether to accept the donated organs according to the actual situation of the recipient, and if there is no reply within one hour, it will enter the next round of allocation." Andy Lau said.
In less than ten minutes, a liver found its new owner. That night, a pair of kidneys was also confirmed by transplant centers in Xiamen and Shanghai for rescue of patients with organ failure.
At 5:40 a.m. on February 8, less than half an hour before the organ harvest operation. Accompanied by a family, Zhang Qijin was transferred from the ICU to the operating room, which was also their final farewell. Zhang Jinhua cried and compared signs to the children. Zhang Longfeng explained to his younger siblings that dad was about to donate his organs to help others, and we said goodbye to him. The younger brother is very strong, and the younger sister can't cry.
Before the organ donation surgery began, doctors bowed to Zhang Qijin's body
At 6 o'clock on February 8, the surgery of organ donation officially began, and the doctors present bowed to Zhang Qijin's body together. Subsequently, the organ harvest surgery proceeded smoothly. According to the "Chinese organ allocation and sharing system", Zhang Qijin's liver, kidneys, and corneas are transported to Shanghai, Xiamen and other places for organ transplantation at the fastest speed.
The reporter learned that at present, liver and kidney transplantation surgery has been successfully completed, bringing new life to three patients with end-stage organ failure. And the two eye patients will soon usher in the light.
Author: Wang Linya
Source: Minnan Daily