Helping Others In the words of Lewis Carroll, ‘One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.’ Helping those near and far is a very common thread among OMs. Anthony Burns-Cox (C2 1957-62) on his brother Christopher (C2 1952-55).
Christopher Burns-Cox – North Borneo
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very year the Club hears about the amazing, and sometimes unimaginable, work selflessly done for the greater good. This year, the Club is launching an OM of the Year Award that will recognise an OM who has gone above and beyond in the previous 12 months. In recognition of this, I have written about my brother Christopher and the incredible work he did throughout his life. One of Christopher’s close friends wrote recently, ‘He achieved so much in helping others; he never strayed from his childhood determination to do so’. Would you give a kidney to a stranger? Well, that is what Christopher did in 2010, at the age of 72. ‘I’m not the first person to give a kidney to a stranger, but it seemed to me that this is a possibility, that it’s available, and that kidneys are very badly needed. I had been a doctor for 50 years and was aware how enormously fortunate I had been in my own good health. I just came to the conclusion that I didn’t need two kidneys.’ He never knew who received his kidney, and insisted that he didn’t want to know, unless the knowledge would help the recipient. He was instrumental in setting up the charity ‘Give a Kidney – one’s enough’ which supplies information and gives encouragement to anyone interested in donating. NHS Blood and Transplant has now incorporated altruistic donation into its national strategy and, in 2019, donations exceeded 100 for the first time. Whilst at Marlborough, and by the time of O levels, Christopher had decided that he wanted to become a doctor. He was The Marlburian Club Magazine
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