The events in England bring back many painful memories for Annick van Drum. After three doctors declared their son Bram brain dead in August 2018, the boy’s parents decided to donate the organ. That meant they had to say goodbye to their son before being transferred to the operating room.
When the doctors switched off the ventilator after the surgery, the parents were not there. “Bram goes to the OR (operating room, ed.), and then it’s hard to realize: He’s not there anymore. Because he was still there for us. It’s hard,” says Annik. “When we were with Bram, he was still warm, so you And really there’s the idea: He’s still there. In fact you know: it’s not like that, but still … you don’t have a 100 percent feeling that you’re saying goodbye, because you’re still standing with a warm body.
She knows the doctors made the right decision, but she can’t help but sympathize with Archie’s parents. “I can understand very well that those people want to keep their son with them as long as possible, but we know it’s hopeless. I’m glad I didn’t have to make that decision at that time.”
The parents want to transfer Archie to a palliative care center:
