Someone you loved for a long time or even barely time at all is gone, so giving consideration to organ donation is just something you're simply not in a state to tackle.

It is why it is imperative for all of us to make sure that decision is made long before it might be needed.

A key part of that process, too, is talking about your wishes with your family or whoever it is that is central to your life.

It's human nature, of course, to find something uncomfortable about organ donation when this is something that has never entered your orbit.

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But that can change so rapidly and for the vast majority of the time, without any notice.

These are stories though that can be told by many Border families. They have gone through the process, both as members of families where organ donation took place to the miracle of new life created as a recipient.

DonateLife week is all about telling those stories that make it all real, to show why it's so important for this discussion to take place.

Vicki Denniss has experienced the double-hit of losing her cherished daughter, Jessica McLennan, in a car crash, then having with her family to make the decision to donate her organs.

It was Jess's wish, but that didn't make it easy.

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But if anything did, this also propelled the family down this path without hesitation.

As Vicki says, her Jess "wanted to fix everyone's problems and save the world. She would not want to take her organs to heaven with her."

There's also the story of little Archer Irwin, who just as his health was sharply deteriorating got a new liver.

"It's amazing how a new liver can create a whole new life," his ever-so grateful mum, Nikki, says. "It still blows my mind that we've got him."

This is our chance to make sure the Archers of the future get an ever greater chance for a normal life through talking about and signing-up for organ donation.

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