Tamworth - take up the organ donor challenge

22 February 2010

This week, Organ Donation Awareness Week, you’re invited to take up the organ donor challenge – Tamworth Hospital is encouraging the community to tell just one other person about organ donation so we can all help save local lives.

Last year NSW saw a substantial increase in organ donations from 57 in 2008 to 69 in 2009 which was the largest increase in 15 years.

Hunter New England Health Tissue and Organ Donation Co-ordinator for the New England Sarah Gordon said the community needs to Discover the facts, Decide whether to donate and Discuss organ donation with their family by visiting www.donatelife.gov.au.

“Sixty-nine very generous families in NSW made a life transforming difference to 215 lives in NSW last year and we can improve this figure – nearly double it if we discuss organ donation with our family and know each other’s wishes,” Ms Gordon said.

“While organ and tissue donation is a choice, far too many families are placed under additional stress at the time of the death of a loved one because they do not know their loved one’s wishes about donation. 

“Prior family discussion can make the process a little easier on donor families because donation is more likely to proceed when families know each other’s wishes. Many families tell us that at an often traumatic time in their lives, organ donation is a very positive experience - a legacy of life.

“To take up the challenge you can choose your favourite communication: tell a friend, telephone, fax, email Facebook and Twitter – just pass it on and we can all save lives,” said Ms Gordon.

Organ and tissue donation can change lives:

• Corneas can restore sight
• Kidney transplants can take people off regular dialysis and back to a normal life without regular hospital visits
• Pancreas transplants can cure Type I Diabetes
• Liver, Heart and Lung transplants save lives immediately
“It is important to keep your registration details current,” Ms Gordon said. “On the Donate Life website you can register on the Australian Organ Donor Register (Medicare) or in NSW you can also tick the box on your driver’s licence.”

Contact: Emma Gibbs

Phone: 0428 114 767