TALK TO YOUR FAMILY, THEN DONATE A LIFE

Organ and tissue transplants can save and transform lives, but the process depends less on medical miracles than on simple but crucial family conversations.

Prior to COVID-19, Australia’s organ donation rate had more than doubled in recent years, but the pandemic has had a direct impact on donation and transplant numbers.

In 2020 there was a 12 per cent drop in the number of people receiving a transplant and a 16 per cent fall in the number of donors compared to 2019.

Around 1800 Australians are on a waiting list for a transplant and there are an additional 12,000 people on dialysis who may need a kidney transplant.

Only one in three Australians are registered donors despite the majority (69 per cent) believing registering is important.

And registering is not enough on its own, as families must still give final approval.

DonateLife Week began on Sunday 25 July and its campaign runs through to Sunday 1 August 2021. DonateLife Week is a public awareness initiative that encourages us all to register as organ and tissue donors.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Organ and Tissue Donation Linda Thomas is employed by DonateLife in Western Australia and is based at three St John of God Health Care hospitals – Subiaco, Murdoch and Midland – as well as the Perth Children’s Hospital, working to educate and increase awareness among clinical staff and helping put everything in place so donation can occur seamlessly.

“DonateLife provides information to families so they can make an informed and enduring decision,” Linda says.

“It’s not about the ‘yes’ or the ‘no’, but providing the information and having donation as part of end-of-life care, so they can make the right decision.”

In 2020, 1270 Australian lives were saved through an organ transplant due to the generosity of 463 deceased donors and their families.

Linda says that, of course, families would always prefer to still have their loved ones, but if they can’t then organ donation is a gift that can offer some light in an otherwise dark time.

“What keeps me in this job is knowing that families do find some positivity, which allows them a glimmer of hope as they work through their grief,” she says.

“Most families support donation, but it’s not black-and-white, and when faced with that decision it’s usually during a traumatic or sudden event.”

“We aim to get people to think about it and have the conversation with their loved ones so they know beforehand.”

While DonateLife encourages everyone who is willing to donate to register, it’s not enough.

“Anyone can register from the age of 16, you don’t have to register to be a donor, but it helps – it’s very important to have the conversation with your family,” Linda says.

“Families often say ‘no’ as they don’t know what their loved one wanted, so they tend to err, understandably on the side of caution, as they don’t want to do something that the person would not have wanted.”

“That’s why there is encouragement to register and have the conversation.”

The easiest way to register on the Australian Organ Donor Register is through the DonateLife website. The register is managed by Medicare and is very secure. All states and territories take part; South Australia also has donor registration via drivers’ licences.

Only about 2% of all Australians who die in a hospital in any one year are eligible to be considered as an organ donor, so it’s essential to have that prior discussion with your family if that’s your wish.

Otherwise there are few barriers.

For example, most religions approve of the process, with a few exceptions, but there DonateLife can help.

“We might have a family that says it’s not within their beliefs, then next week we’ll have one from that same religion that says ‘yes’. It comes down to the individuals,” Linda says.

“But if religion comes up, we can invite religious leaders in to help them make their decision.”

Similarly, age and fitness are not barriers to donation.

“Under the national guidelines everyone is assessed individually. For example an 80-year-old could be suitable for kidney and liver donation.

“And smoking and drinking are no preclusion, as specific organ function is assessed at the time.”

Linda says all potential recipients are screened prior to being eligible for a transplant.

“To get on the transplant list you must be sick enough to need an organ – that is, you have an organ that is failing – but are well enough to survive the operation,” she says.

“In Australia, to get on the transplant list is very rigorous – you can’t be a drinker, smoke or take illegal drugs.”

So think about it, have that conversation with your loved ones, and register at: https://www.donatelife.gov.au/join-register