A message from the Mayor - DonateLife Week

Published on 03 August 2015

Having a discussion with your closest friends and family about whether or not you would like to be an organ or tissue donor is probably not going to be the easiest discussion you’ll ever have. But for thousands of Australians on the donor waiting list, it could be one of the most important.

I know that this topic can make people a bit squeamish, but with last week being National Blood Donor Week and this week DonateLife Week, dedicated to raising awareness about organ and tissue donation in Australia, it’s timely that we all take even a few minutes to think about our future.

We take pride as Australians in being generous and hospitable people, willing to help others and to go that extra mile. If we’re doing this in life, why not do it as we near the end too?

Even though our country has had great success with its transplant program, organ donation is not always possible, even for those who have made their intentions clear. The Organ and Tissue Authority estimates only 1% of in hospital deaths occur in circumstances where donation is an option. And when you consider that not everyone will give permission for their loved ones to be a donor, that number decreases even further.

The Australian Government’s Organ and Tissue Authority are urging us to do three simple things during DonateLife week:

Discover the facts about donating
Decide and register
Discuss your decision with family and friends

Most of us don’t even think about organ donation until either ourselves or someone we know is in need of a transplant, or until we are put in the unenviable position of having to make a decision to donate the organs or tissue of a loved one. Whatever the situation, it’s normally a very stressful and difficult time.

Currently in Australia there are around 1600 people on the waiting list and in 2014, 378 organ donors gave over 1100 people a new chance at life, with each donor able to change the fortunes of up to 10 or even more people.

I know statistics and information are one thing, but when you hear or read stories about the transformation in people’s lives after receiving a donation of blood, an organ or tissue, that’s when you truly understand the far reaching impact of a small act of generosity. You can read some of these amazing stories on the DonateLife website at www.donatelife.gov.au/read-book-life

So this week I urge you all to put some real effort into thinking about what it means to be a donor. Ask yourself these simple first questions:

If I needed a transplant would I accept someone else’s organs or tissue?

If someone else needed a transplant, would I help if possible?

If you answered yes to either of these questions, contact the Organ and Tissue Authority, register your consent and please, have the chat with those who love you.

Find out more at donatelife.gov.au or contact DonateLife on 1800 133 050.

Cr Glenn Milne
Mayor