Planted opposite the town hall of Supt, the ginkgo biloba, chosen for its longevity, symbolizes life which continues thanks to organ donation. It calls for reflection and invites everyone to consider their position. The plaque installed at its foot pays tribute to the 3,000 donors who, each year in France, save lives after their death.
An invitation to reflection
In the presence of Mayor Évelyne Comte, Pierre Noir, president of ADOT 39, Sylvie Vermeillet, senator, and many local elected officials, the ceremony was marked by simplicity and emotion. Three transplant recipients, present for the occasion, recalled how this donation represents hope for patients awaiting transplantation. This tribute calls for personal and family reflection: in France, even if the 1976 law provides for presumed consent, the decision is often left to relatives in the event of death, a choice that is all the more difficult to make in an emergency.
Organ donation awareness
FRANCE ADOT 39 actively works so that every citizen can take a position, for or against, on organ donation. In 2023, the association has increased its interventions in schools and during various events, thus offering younger generations valuable information and the opportunity to question their own beliefs.
This first tree of life in the Jura represents a call for more similar places in the department to keep the memory of donors alive and pay them a lasting tribute.
The FRANCE ADOT 39 association highlights that despite broad support among French people for the idea of organ donation – 80% are in favor – less than half have discussed it with their loved ones. This lack of dialogue weighs down families' decisions in the event of sudden death. The donation refusal rate also seems to remain worrying: 36% in France, including 32% in the Besançon region.
B.B
France
