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Good morning. I recently read a touching story of nurses and doctors in a hospital in the US. They formed a guard of honour as a brain dead toddler was taken into surgery by her parents so that her organs could be donated to save the lives of others. Some of the medics sang Amazing Grace before the girl’s parents kissed their daughter goodbye. Organ donation is an emotive topic. It can involve life-changing decisions being made whilst families are only just coming to terms with their own loss. But it’s the possibility of saving and prolonging many more lives that’s prompted a shift to an ‘opt out’ system closer to home. Wales introduced the new system three years ago, England is bringing it in next spring, and the Scottish Parliament completed Stage Two of its own bill earlier this month. Under the opt out system, people are deemed to have consented to be organ donors unless they ask to be removed from the register. This is clearly not a choice that everyone can make. The role played by loved ones is pivotal, as family members can also veto organ donation after death under the opt out system. The British Sikh Report, launching in the Midlands tomorrow evening, provides an annual snapshot of the nation’s Sikh community. This year, it’s explored attitudes towards organ donation. Although only 40% of Sikhs are currently on the donor register, a more promising statistic is that 94% of British Sikhs would respect the wishes of a family member who wants to donate their organs after their death. This is significant because some Sikhs in the past may have been under the misapprehension that the body has to remain intact after death in accordance with some cultural practices in South Asia. For Sikhs, the human body is a temporary structure within which the soul resides. Once somebody dies, the body has fulfilled its purpose and is no longer of use, whilst the soul moves on to become one with the Almighty or rejoin the cycle of reincarnation. That’s why Sikhs cremate our dead and why we don’t build tombs or memorials for those who have passed. The ashes are simply immersed in flowing waters so that they can disperse and become part of the natural world once more Sikhs also believe in the notion of ‘sewa’ or selfless service as a means of connecting with God. Several Sikh charities have come together to promote organ donation through the concept of ‘Organ Sewa’. It’s the idea that by giving your organs to others, you are the giving the gift of life and practising the spiritual concept of selfless service even after you die. The difference many people can make through organ donation is also a tangible one. After all, as Guru Nanak says, “With our own hands, let us resolve our affairs”.