Le Nouvelliste - 26/11/2002

Donate a new life
It is urgent to lift the veil from the delicate subject of organs donation. The story of Denis Baer-Lilla, young donor, must serve as an example.

Denis Baer-Lilla died tragically last January. Thanks to donation of his organs, he saved seven lives. ldd

About fifty people die every year in our country for not receiving an organ in time. There are over one thousand people on the waiting list for a transplant. But only half of them have a slim chance of obtaining the organ they need in order to be –in the best case- saved and able to envisage a new life. For the others, the expectation of a heart, a kidney, a liver, lungs or a pancreas continues. This precarious situation could be improved if any and everybody would decide to make donation of his/her organs.
A life turns over…

The subject is not new. It should not be taboo any more since it has been talked about for many years. As an evidence, the Swiss national foundation for organs donation and for transplantation, Swisstransplant, has been active since 1985, i.e. since already more than fifteen years. Unfortunately, too few people truly and concretely realise what an organs donation is, what it implies and, above all, how it is effected. This is where Pascale and Guy Baer-Lilla come on stage. On 6th January last, Denis Baer-Lilla, son of Pascale and brother of Guy, dies in a car accident. He was 18 years old. Well before this tragedy, Denis had often evoked organs donation. “He talked to me about it on several occasions, his mother remembers. He told me that if something would happen to him, donation of his organs should be made. Since this discussion, organs donation went by itself for us. Incidentally, Denis had two donor cards with him, one in his city purse and the other one in the purse he was using for sports. Denis knew. He suspected he would die soon. He confided it to me. For year’s end holidays, few days before his death, he even organised a family gathering and, on 30th December, I remember he was deeply moved by the film treating this theme and which is called “A Better World”. He then asked me to have the baton passed.”

… and seven lives are saved.

Thanks to the consciousness and the generosity of Denis Baer-Lilla, seven families have retrieved happiness. Through Denis’ organs, seven patients have recovered their smile and joy of living. As to Denis, he is today in a certainly better world. He passed the baton and can be proud of it, as much as his mother and brother are. What about you? Did you think of passing the baton?
Christine Schmidt

“An electronic database registry of donors must absolutely be created” Further to Denis’ death, his brother Guy, and his mother Pascale Baer-Lilla, decided to create a foundation in favour of organs donation. As a result the Foundation “Pass The Baton” was recently born in Montreux. Its objectives are to produce a card for registration of all organs donors in an electronic database, to make this card known to the public, and also to organise several information, discussion and encountering events. Mrs. Baer-Lilla had to face a particularly hard situation at the death of her elder son. Denis was a donor ; he even had two donor cards. Unfortunately, on the day of the accident, he was not carrying them with him and his mother had to undertake lengthy steps for the doctors to accept at long last to take Denis’ organs. “This should not happen again!, Mrs Baer-Lilla rises. The organs donation procedure presents a big gap due to lack of structures capable of confirming the will of donors. As of today, there is no exhaustive list of potential donors. It is therefore urgent to create an official electronic database registry of donors which would be accessible to all hospitals, in Switzerland as well as at international level.” ChS

First supporting evening in the presence of numerous people from Canton Valais This Thursday, fashionable people will gather at the Monteux Palace for the first supporting evening in favour of the Foundation “Pass The Baton”. This gathering, the first in a long series, is organised for the purpose of collecting funds and for passing the “baton” fully in the open, without veil nor taboo, with the only desire to share a convivial time whilst talking of existential subjects. Numerous personalities from political, economic, medical, cinematographic circles are awaited… Over 350 persons are indeed awaited on Thursday evening in Montreux. People from Canton Valais will also participate. Romaine Jean, journalist at the TSR (Swiss Romande Television), Blaise Schmidt, doctor from Sion, Guy Vaudan, President of Bagnes, Pierre-Cyrille Michaud, President of Bovernier, and also Christophe Darbellay, Vice-Director of the Federal Office of Agriculture, wine producer Philippe Varone, to mention but a few, have chosen to support the Foundation “Pass The Baton”. The generous gesture of Philippe Varone should be particularly pointed out: he will offer all wines for the meal of the evening. “I got seduced by the action of Pascale Baer-Lilla, founder of “Pass The Baton”, Mr. Varone confided. This cause is close to everybody, it concerns all the people. It’s the first time I participate in this type of action and I will thereby contribute to passing the baton, me too.” ChS

For passing the baton The general public is invited to support the Foundation “Pass The Baton”. In a first phase you can pay your tribute to help the foundation project progress further into Banca del Gottardo, account CD 648 949.02, clearing 8613, CCP 69-6966-7. You can also visit the Internet site of the foundation at the address www.passthebaton.org. In addition you are awaited in the streets of Montreux, from 5th to 24th December on the occasion of the Xmas market to discover the foundation and obtain information on organs donation. A calendar featuring elite sports celebrities, dedicated to the foundation, will be for sale in limited edition, with original pictures of our sports celebrities passing the baton, their way. ChS

Free translation from French of articles published in “Le Nouvelliste” of 26th November, 2002

{Close window}