DonateLife week is Australia’s national awareness week to promote the importance of organ and tissue donation and encouraging Australians to register their donation decision. The week was held from 29 July – 5 August this year.

Have you registered to become a donor? It only takes a minute.

All you need is your Medicare number and to click here https://donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

You can register an ‘intent to be an organ and tissue donor’ with the Australian Organ Donor Register from the age of 16 but you can only fully register from the age of 18.

If you previously registered to be a donor on your driver’s licence, you now need to join the Australian Organ Donor Register.

Some facts from the DonateLife website

• Around 1,400 people are waiting for a transplant in Australia. A further 11,000 people are on dialysis many of whom may benefit from a kidney transplant.
• In 2017, more than 9,600 Australians benefited from eye and tissue donation.
• Organs that can be transplanted include the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, large intestine and pancreas.
• Tissue that can be transplanted includes heart valves and other heart tissue, bone, tendons, ligaments, skin and parts of the eye such as the cornea and sclera.
• While most of us think it is important to discuss our wishes regarding donation, only 51% of us have actually had the conversation. It is very important that your loved ones know that you are willing to be a donor. This is because they will be asked for permission before donation can proceed. If you have registered as a donor this will make that decision easier for them.
• Although age and medical history will be considered, no one should assume they are too young, old or unhealthy to become a donor.
• If you lived in the UK between 1980 – 1996 during the ‘Mad Cow’ outbreak, for a period of 6 or more consecutive months you can donate an organ but not tissue or blood.
• ‘Living donation’ is where you can donate a kidney or part of your liver while you’re still alive. Most living donors are family members or close friends of the recipient.
• You can also be a live femoral head donator if you are having a total hip replacement!

It is an incredible gift to donate so consider registering today and discuss with your family.

Margaret Bates
School Nurse