2023-09-17 03:07:59
As you all know, my family went through difficult times recently when my father, Fausto Silva, needed a heart transplant.
A situation like this, with someone so close, makes you look deeper into those circumstances, and learn from your pain and the pain of others.
Trying to transform our “scare” – and the anguish of so many other families – into an opportunity to move forward as a country, my family and I are engaged in changing the legislation on organ donation in Brazil.
We support the approval of bill 1774/2023, which is being processed in Congress and would help to substantially reduce the waiting time for transplants.
The PL establishes ‘presumed donation’ – which guarantees the authorization of the donation of tissues, organs or parts of the human body for transplants or other therapeutic purposes, unless the individual expresses otherwise.
The presumed donation seems consistent with the values of generosity and altruism of the Brazilian people – the same generosity demonstrated by the family of Fabio Cordeiro da Silva, whose heart today beats in my father’s chest.
The country maintained its transplant programs during the pandemic, but the number fell by around 40%. From January to July 2019, 15,827 transplants were performed; in the same period of 2020, only 9,952. Currently, more than 41 thousand people are waiting in line for an organ transplant in Brazil – and this line exists due to the lack of donors.
It is not possible to embrace all causes at the same time, but this topic changed our family’s perspective.
In the same way that presenter Marcos Mion became a spokesperson in the fight to raise awareness regarding autism, we in the Silva family are also learning and listening to experts to, in a very didactic way, help disseminate the correct information.
There needs to be time for discussion in order to mature the topic. A public figure helps shed light on the discussion, but the final decision rests with elected representatives.
The bill was authored by deputies Mauricio Carvalho (União/RO) and Fernando Marangoni (União/SP), both very active in Congress.
Parliamentarians got together, and we are working to make more people aware of the situation, giving greater visibility to the issue and raising public awareness.
Another very important law that is already in the Senate is the Tatiana Law, which provides for greater awareness of the topic, with the insertion of content in schools and universities. All that remains is for the rapporteur, Senator Humberto Costa, to put it on the agenda to be voted on.
One thing is right. Any project that sheds light on this subject will be heard by our family. The cause of the donation is not linked to politics or parties; it hovers above any type of polarization.
It is – only and thank God – an agenda in favor of life.
João Silva is Faustão’s son.
John Silva
1694954718
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