An Edinburgh police officer who died at the age of 23 has helped save multiple lives after five of his organs were donated to patients across the UK.
Cyprian Kromiszewski, who worked for Police Scotland in the capital and lived in West Lothian, became the country’s youngest officer when he joined the force in 2019.
After his sudden death in 2023, his organs were donated to recipients with the support of the transplant co-ordination team at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
During Organ and Tissue Donation Week, his family and local health officials are calling on the public to discuss their donation wishes to help address a critical shortage in donors.
In Lothian, 573,002 people have opted in on the Organ Donor Register, representing an increase of 37.7% from 2015.
His mother, Marzanna Swierczewska, said: “We had spoken with Cyprian about his wishes years earlier when he was completing paperwork when applying to Police Scotland. I had no doubt he would want to help others, as that was his nature.”
She added: “We are all from different countries, religions, and cultures, but ultimately, we are all human. Your body can help others once you have left this earth.
“Speaking about it means that your family will know what you would want. It can be such a difficult time when someone dies, so knowing your wishes can make an incredibly difficult situation just a little bit easier.”
Professor John Casey, Transplant Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, highlighted the local impact of such decisions.
He said: “Each year, thousands of people’s lives are saved or improved thanks to the generosity of organ donors like Cyprian.
“Before he died, he had made his wishes clear and had the opportunity to discuss them with his family and loved ones, and it’s stories like this one which are a strong reminder just how important that conversation is.”
Deceased donation rates across the country are currently trending 9% below last year, with more than 8,700 people on the transplant waiting list.
Family consent rates have also fallen from 67% to 57%, though families support donation 90% of the time when they know their loved one’s decision, compared to 50% when it is unknown.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are facing one of the most challenging periods for organ donation in over a decade.
“The sharp decline in donors and the rising number of people waiting for a transplant need urgent action.
“We have already adapted significantly to changes in the donation environment. But. Saving lives and reducing the waiting list needs collective effort across the NHS and society.
“There is a simple action the public can take to help save lives. Please sign the NHS Organ Donor Register.
“Most of us would accept an organ if we needed one but opportunities to save lives are being lost because families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted. Leave them certain.
“It takes two minutes to confirm an organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Each donor can potentially save up to nine lives.”
- This article or a part of it is provided by the news agency Deadline News Limited and published here with permission.
- Contact Deadline News Limited if you would like to use any or all of this article.
