Let's talk organ donation

25 Jul 2019

25 July 2019 

Over the last five years there have been four organ donors across St John of God Health Care hospitals and 57 tissue donors.

Sixteen of those tissue donations were made in 2018 - all of them cornea donors.

That means that 32 people had their sight restored through the generosity of these donors and their families.

That’s why St John of God Health Care is a proud and longstanding supporter of DonateLife, and this DonateLife Week, we’re raising awareness of the benefits organ and tissue donation have on the lives of transplant recipients and their families.

At St John of God Health Care, DonateLife Clinical Nurse Specialist Organ and Tissue Donation Linda Thomas is leading the charge. She consults at our hospitals, liaising with and educating patients, their families and staff on organ and tissue donation.

“Organ and tissue donation gives people needing a transplant a second chance at life, and donor families find comfort and positivity through the donation process,” Linda said.

“There is always someone who will need an organ transplant so we’re calling on the local community to talk about organ donation. Even if you are a registered organ and tissue donor, DonateLife Week is a great opportunity to reach out to others and encourage them to join the Australian Organ Donor Register.”

We want everyone to talk about organ and tissue donation. Your family needs to know your wishes to be a donor but we also encourage you to chat to ‘a plus one’ – a friend, neighbour, or relative and encourage them to register too.

Registering is quick and easy. You’ll only need your Medicare card and a spare minute. To find out more information visit donatelife.gov.au.

Did you know?

• In 2018, nine out of 10 families agreed to donation when their family member was on the donor register.
• Consent for donation was given in seven out of 10 cases when the family had prior knowledge of their loved one’s wishes. This dropped to five out of 10 families agreeing to donation when the family was unaware of their wishes.
• More than 1,400 Australians are today on waitlists for a life-saving or life-transforming transplant with a further 11,000 people on dialysis, of whom many would benefit from a kidney transplant.