Organ donation – Waiting for a new life | DW Documentary
Ruth Bopp has been suffering from an incurable lung disease for years. She can no longer breathe freely. A donor organ is finally found. The film shows the beginning of her new life. Her struggle, her happiness, and her setbacks.
Ruth Bopp will never forget October 20, 2023. At 3:50 a.m., the ringing of her cell phone roused her from sleep. On the other end of the line: Hannover Medical School. The news: there was a suitable lung for her. An ambulance was already on its way.
Ruth Bopp suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, a serious chronic disease that makes breathing increasingly difficult. For years, she was dependent on an oxygen tank. After the transplant, she was able to breathe freely again just four days later – without a tube or device. “It was an indescribable feeling,” she says. “Finally being able to breathe on my own again – that was wonderful.”
But Ruth’s story is an exception. In Germany, 8,400 patients are urgently waiting for a donor organ – but there are only 965 donors. The country has what’s known as an “opt-in” policy: organ or tissue donation is only possible if the deceased person has given their consent during their lifetime – or if their relatives do so retroactively. In many other European countries such as France, Spain and the Netherlands, however, an “opt-out” policy applies: anyone who does not expressly object is automatically considered a donor.
The documentary provides an insight into what life with a serious lung disease is like, and traces the path to transplantation. The film also documents the emotional power of hope. Ruth Bopp makes an urgent appeal to society: “If you need an organ yourself, you want it straight away – but very few people consider the idea of donating themselves.” Yet current surveys show a positive trend: according to a study by one medical insurance group, 49% of adults in Germany now have an organ donor card – compared to 41% in 2021.
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Video “Organ donation – Waiting for a new life | DW Documentary” was uploaded on 10/26/2025 by DW Documentary Youtube channel.