Organ donation: Give so that someone else can live.

Did you know that 4 out of 5 Australians say that they are willing to become organ and/or tissue donors? Unfortunately, only 1 in 3 (36%) are registered to donate. At any time, there are around 1,800 people waiting for transplants. There are a further 14,000 Australians on dialysis who would benefit from a kidney transplant.

Very few people die in a way that allows them to become an organ donor. But if that’s the case, your family will be asked to agree to donation.

So, here are three ways to ensure that everyone is aware of your wishes:

1. If you are aged over 16 years, join the Australian Organ Donor Register. Register at donatelife.gov.au/register or with 3 taps on your Express Plus Medicare app.
2. Tell your family you’ve joined the Australian Organ Donor Register and you want to be a donor:

• Remind your nearest and dearest of your specific wishes, especially if your family situation has changed.
• Refresh discussions of your wishes from time to time as a reminder or to clarify specifics.

3.You can ensure that your wishes are immediately known should your passing be imminent:

• Join the Australian Organ Donor Register, tell your family you want to be a donor and store your donation decision in your Doctor Access in An Emergency Chest on Secure My Treasures.
• Secure My Treasures stores your vital information in any of 32 digital safe. It means that your donation decision won’t be lost or destroyed unless you delete them.
• On Secure My Treasures you can authorise up to three Trustees to access your donation decision.
• You can revise your donation decision at any time. Make sure you also update this in your Express Plus Medicare app or your Medicare online account through myGov.
• You can also leave a message for your Trustees that updates them about changes you have made to your donation decision.

Find out more at:

DonateLife, Australian Government Organ and Tissue Authority https://www.donatelife.gov.au/    Accessed 16 June 2024

Organ Donation,  Myths and Facts https://giftoflife.com.au/organ-donation/myths/ Gift of Life Foundation. Accessed 16 June 2024