Remembering Guy Derrick

March 21 World Down Syndrome Day

A day to celebrate the lives of those born Down Syndrome. A day to wear your most colourful socks and when you’re asked why it becomes an opportunity to start a conversation about the wonderful loving caring people born Down syndrome. So please if you can put on your odd socks and start the conversation on March 21.

I would like to continue to tell some of our story. The story of my beautiful brother Guy. Many of you already know that Guy passed away almost 6 years ago aged 52. Our family made a very hard decision to donate Guys organs because he loved to help people. What better way to continue to help someone even after he had passed than to give the gift of life.

Guy could only donate his kidneys, his other organs had worked hard to give him his 52 years and were not suitable to donate.

I have written on 3 occasions to his kidney recipients and had until recently only had correspondence from left kidney recipient. Last week our family was lucky enough to receive letters from both left and right kidney recipients and I can not tell you how happy this news has made our family and how proud we are of Guy for giving wonderful healthy lives to these two people and their families.

Making the decision to give Guys organs was so hard but now hearing the stories of these people who share my brother’s DNA, people we will never meet, has made it all so very worthwhile.

Right kidney recipient is from what we know is a mother of 2 children, wife and small business owner. She has written two times now and has told us that she had already had a kidney from her mother at a young age and Guy’s kidney was her second. She was almost about to start dialysis when they got the call to say they had a match for her. Her first letter spoke of their happiness at a chance at normal life while realising our heartbreak at losing a loved one.

Her second card reads ….

Dear Donor family,

Firstly, my apologies that it’s been a while. Who would have thought a pandemic would throw a spanner in the way we live now!

Thank you for following up and checking in on me, yes, I am well and taking very good care of the gift I received from your Son / brother and uncle xo

I really love hearing about his generosity and love of family and music. We definitely have a lot in common. I really hope that your Mum is feeling much better at the time of this letter and give thanks every day that you are all well.

With much love, respect and gratitude.

Have a happy and healthy 2024.

Right kidney recipient, from what I can assume, is a young father and husband. The first correspondence we have received from right kidney reads …..

Hi there ,

Thank you for the time to write and sharing with us about your brother and your family.

You are all in our thoughts. Hoping you had a lovely Christmas and wishing you a happy New Year.

You will be glad to know all is doing well health wise here

Sending love from our family to yours.

XXOO

A note accompanying the card from his wife reads….

Hello family of donor,

I am writing as the wife of the recipient of your family member’s kidney.

Please know that you have all been in our thoughts and we apologise for not writing sooner.

We have taken pen to paper multiple times but it is very difficult to find the right words to express not only for our gratitude but our thoughts with you for your loss.

We realise it must have been a difficult decision for you all to make.

Receiving the transplant changed the lives not only of my husband but our whole family.

Within months of receiving the kidney we were pregnant with our second child, a gift we didn’t think possible for us too.

Not long after he was born we made the decision to make the most of life, so we purchased a caravan and set off on a trip around Australia.

The boys are now 8 and 4 and just like their father, love everything outdoors - like fishing, swimming, skating, camping etc.

We have settled in a small town in Queensland for the last month so the boys can find some more routine in school and kinder.

We remember every day that none of our lifestyle would be possible if it was not for your family.

Somehow these letters of gratitude have made losing Guy and the hard decisions to donate his organs a very rewarding and humbling experience. To realise how his death has changed the lives of two families is the most wonderful feeling.

We will never stop missing him or forget the lessons he taught us just by being Down Syndrome….just being him. We loved him very much.

So, on March 21 put on your brightest socks and start talking about Down syndrome it also keeps Guys memory alive.

His loving sister

Rhonda Phillips