Family Matters: A Daughter's Memoir of Laughter to Loss and Laughter Again - Paperback

by Aisha S. Chaudhry (Author)

Family Matters" is a non-fiction memoir about Aisha Chaudhry's mother Annsa, who waited ten years for a kidney transplant before finally losing her lease for life. From the history of her parents settling in the UK after leaving Pakistan - following the partition of India - to stories of growing up in a lively British Asian family, Aisha invites the reader to register their decision to donate and discuss it with their family. She conveys the message that the situation was a family matter, but also above all else, Family Matters. Finally even if the person who died wanted to donate, it is ultimately their family who will be asked about consenting to organ donation. The family will get the final say, thereby making it a family matter.

The book is in several parts. The first part consists of reviews from industry professionals who are experienced in organ failure and transplants. Reviews are also from two living donors and a donor recipient.

The Prologue lets the reader gain insight into why Chaudhry decided to pick up writing her Memoir after her mother's death.

Each chapter takes the reader through phases of life including how each parent grew up in South Asian and the Middle East, and how they came to live in England.

The book is divided into 10 chapters and finishes with an intellectual debate in order to overcome objections about donating.

Chapter 1 A Sea of Sadness

Chapter 2 Our Early Years, 1980

Chapter 3 Life with the A & A's

Chapter 4 A Glorious Childhood

Chapter 5 Turning Point

Chapter 6 Keeping Calm and Carrying on Despite It All

Chapter 7 Serious and Surreal

Chapter 8 Unknown Territory

Chapter 9 The Funeral

Chapter 10 Life Now

Intellectual Debate

After the Acknowledgments section, there is a section on Facts and Information on Organ Donation followed by Footnote References, Campaigning & Media

Donor and Recipient Success Stories.

There is Asian Omelette Recipe and a Pakistani Chicken Recipe to share with the reader.

Two pages are given to thank the Sponsor Anita Myers and Sponsor Hilary Rose.

Finally a section is included about Donating a Percentage of Proceeds to an Organisation or Charity