About 13 million people throughout Australia over the age of 16 are eligible to donate their organs, but only seven million have registered.

Mr Ironside did between 60 and 75 blood and plasma donations before he saw a placard that encouraged people to register as organ and bone marrow donors.

"I had a lifelong belief of people doing things for their community," he said.

"I thought if I could do it, I would."

Mr Ironside said he registered as a bone marrow donor 25 years ago and did not give it much thought until he received a call a few weeks later - his donation matched somebody else's.

"With a blood donation, you leave after it was done," he said.

"I did not realise what a bone marrow transplant was in greater detail."

According to the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), two thirds of patients with blood or auto-immune diseases relied on donors from the ABMDR or international registries.

The other third were lucky to find matches within the family.

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Mr Ironside was asked to have further tests to analyse the match, and was called again to run further tests.

He was then asked if he wanted to proceed with the donation.

"It seemed like the right thing for me," he said.

"I was involved with the SES, I was Heart Foundation instructor, a lifesaver in Sydney and Canberra, and I was also involved with the RFS."

Mr Ironside lived in Canberra at the time, and had to travel to Sydney where his bone marrow was removed the following day.

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He discovered that his donation went to a 17-year-old boy who had leukaemia in Western Australia.

Another donation was required after three months, but Mr Ironside said that it "arrived too late."

While it was something he still found difficult to accept, Mr Ironside was "glad" that he made the decision to donate.

"They said the initial bone marrow transplant improved his condition," he said.

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"I got a card that said he was discharged from the hospital and got to have Christmas with his family.

"Even though it ended with him dying, I knew from the card how grateful he was, and how grateful the family were."

Both parties made the decision to make contact with the other before the boy passed.

His parents reached out and said they wanted to meet him, so Mr Ironside flew over and stayed a couple of nights.

"I was so grateful that they wanted to meet me," he said.

"I think it helped with the grieving process."

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He admitted that he was unable to make another donation afterwards, and could feel the side effects from the transplant.

Despite this he said he would do it again if he had the option.

You can register as an organ and tissue donor at donatelife.gov.au/register.

If you previously had your registration recorded on your driver's licence, you need to join the Australian Organ Donor Register.

You can also register via MyGov, the Express Plus Medicare app or fill out this form to update your details, and specify which organs or tissues you would like to donate.

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