Family of West Lothian police officer who died at 23 'proud' after his organ donation saves lives across UK
The 23-year-old died unexpectedly in 2023 and previous made his wishes on organ donation clear to his family
The family of a young police officer who died unexpectedly at the age of 23 have said that they are “proud” after lives were saved by his decision to donate his organs.
Cyprian Kromiszewski, from Fauldhouse in West Lothian, was serving as a police officer in Edinburgh at the time of his sudden death in 2023.
He had previously made history in 2019 when he joined the force just days before his 19th birthday and became Scotland’s youngest police officer.
Cyprian’s wishes around organ donation were made clear to his family, who had discussed the matter with him while he was applying to Police Scotland.
His mother, Marzanna Swierczewska, said: “We had spoken with Cyprian about his wishes years earlier when he was completing paperwork when applying to Police Scotland.
“I had no doubt he would want to help others, as that was his nature.”
Five of his organs, including his liver, pancreas, heart and both kidneys, have gone to recipients around the UK since his death and helped to save lives across the country.
Cyprian’s donation is being highlighted as part of Organ and Tissue Donation Week, which runs from Monday, September 21 until Sunday, September 27 and encourages people to discuss their wishes around the matter with their loved one and register their decision.
Marzanna added: “We are all from different countries, religions, and cultures, but ultimately, we are all human. Your body can help others once you have left this earth. Speaking about it means that your family will know what you would want.
“It can be such a difficult time when someone dies, so knowing your wishes can make an incredibly difficult situation just a little bit easier.
“I am so proud that although Cyprian is no longer with us, he has gone on to save other people. It truly reflects the person he was in life, which is someone who cared deeply about others and simply wanted to help.”
People across Scotland aged 16 can choose to be included on the organ and tissue donation register or choose to opt out. You can actively choose to opt-in to donate all or some of your organs and tissue on the register. If no decision is registered, adults over the age of 16 will be considered willing to donate unless they have previously explicitly opted out of the register or are in an excluded group.
Across Lothian, 573,002 people have opted in to the Organ Donor Register, marking a 37.7 per cent increase since 2015.
Professor John Casey, Transplant Surgeon at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian said: “Each year, thousands of people’s lives are saved or improved thanks to the generosity of organ donors like Cyprian.
“Before he died, he had made his wishes clear and had the opportunity to discuss them with his family and loved ones, and it’s stories like this one which are a strong reminder just how important that conversation is.”
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are facing one of the most challenging periods for organ donation in over a decade. The sharp decline in donors and the rising number of people waiting for a transplant need urgent action.
“We have already adapted significantly to changes in the donation environment. But saving lives and reducing the waiting list needs collective effort across the NHS and society.
“There is a simple action the public can take to help save lives. Please sign the NHS Organ Donor Register. Most of us would accept an organ if we needed one but opportunities to save lives are being lost because families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted. Leave them certain.
“It takes two minutes to confirm an organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Each donor can potentially save up to nine lives.”
To find out more about organ donation and to register your decision, you can visit the Organ Donation Scotland website.