Dear Members/Players/Visitors,
This season Selby RUFC has lost a much loved member of the rugby community, Alun Jones. Alun was a big part of our Club, having two children actively involved in the youth section and was very supportive of our rugby family.
One of Alun’s many legacies was that he had signed up as an organ donor. It’s a sensitive issue, so please take some time to read his wife Jane’s moving account of his passing and why she feels so passionate about it.
All the best.
Andrew Llewellyn, Chair, Youth Rugby Selby RUFC

Share Your Wishes is a group of transplant recipients, parents of children who have had transplants, live donors and donor families. They want to encourage everyone to share their organ donation wishes. It is imperative that wherever you live in the UK you must share your organ donation wishes as it will make the decision for your families that much easier at a dark and difficult time as ultimately it will be they that will be asked to support your donation decision.

They are not a charity - they are just a group of like-minded people who want to make a difference to encourage people to be organ donors and offer support too. They support all transplant charities and groups in their work to promote organ donation.

As conversations had been had and organ donation decisions had been shared, Jane knew what to do when her husband sadly passed away recently.

“Alun was 44 and a barrister in Leeds and I am 39 and a health visitor for Harrogate District Foundation Trust.

Alun collapsed in London on Sunday 9th September 2018, following a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage. He was treated at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery who fought hard to save him. He was apparently born with two brain aneurysms and never knew.

A few days later Alun’s amazing brain had sadly died. He received the best care in the world which I am grateful to our fabulous NHS for. Alun’s organs were donated to help save the lives of others. There is no greater testament to the man I love, it was exactly what he wanted to do and I was told he was a perfect candidate. Someone will be super lucky to receive his heart filled with love

Alun was truly the best husband and father anyone could wish for, we loved him so much and feel lucky he loved and cared for us the way he did. We lived our 14 years of married life to the full and have so many magical memories with our boys. I have promised Alun that I will grow the boys to be the best that they can be.

The boys were aged just 9 and 13 at their father’s death, but both have had birthdays since their father’s untimely passing, and are now 10 & 14 respectively, and I see so much of him in both of them.

Organ donation has given us something positive to celebrate during our time of sadness. Please consider giving the gift of life by signing the donor register and share your wishes with your family. I was told that Alun had signed the donor register himself twice and I am also grateful for the conversations we had about it.

We also have a friend who received a kidney transplant this week so we can truly see the impact of organ donation from both sides.

We would like to thank all of our family and friends who have supported us. People do care so much, it’s been quite overwhelming.
Alun was truly amazing. Xxx”
Live Life Give Life
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jcjones
#ShareYourWishes about your #OrganDonation decision with your loved ones just as Alun did as #WordsSaveLives