ABOUT 1600 people are on the Australian organ transplant waiting list at any time.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
One organ and tissue donor has the potential to transform the lives of 10 or more of those people on the waiting list. In fact in 2015 a total 435 organ donors gave a new chance at life to 1241 people.
And the good news is that the number of organ donors and transplant recipients was the highest in 2015 since national records began. However there is still plenty of room for improvement as far as this statistic is concerned.
According to South Western Sydney Local Health District intensivist Dr Michael Parr while three out of four people would say yes to a life-saving transplant, only 56 per cent of people are registered as donors.
This week is DonateLife Week. It is a time set aside to drive home the important messages of organ donation. It is a time to remind people to make their intentions known to loved ones regarding organ donation. It is a time to dispel myths and boost confidence in the life-saving gift we can offer should the time come that we are no longer for this world.
No doubt it is a daunting, and possibly frightening, consideration for most people - our mortality is not a regular topic of conversation.
But the fact remains that the inevitable death of one person could ensure the survival and continued meaningful life of several others.
It is a powerful reality.
And if the concept of becoming an organ donor is daunting then perhaps you should look at it from the other side of the fence: What if you, or a loved one needed an organ transplant?
The reality is that the steps taken by another to become an organ donor could mean the difference between life and death for yourself...or someone you love.
Now is the time to consider your most valuable contribution to life and make sure your intentions are known.