We all can be Heroes
Our Hero Sebby
We are extraordinarily proud to know that our Sebby died a lifesaver.
On the day he died, 31 July 2018 his kidneys were fused together and transplanted into a young adult. This person had been on dialysis for many years, and this surgery changed their, and their families' future.
In Australia, Organ donation is an opt-in system. So many people believe that their registration is captured via their driver's license, but this is no longer a fact.
There are 13 Million Australians who COULD be on the register but have never signed on. Anyone aged over 16 must visit www.donatelife.gov.au to register. It takes less than a minute.
How rare is Organ Donation?
This topic is one that causes some interesting emotions to arise, but what people need to know is that only 1-2% of people that die in a controlled hospital situation are even eligible to donate.
In a standard year approximately 170,000 Australians die. Of those, only around 1250 are suitable organ donors. After consent conversations occur, this leads to around 420 people donating those organs. So there are literally thousands of organs and tissue matter dying with people every year, which could be saving more lives.
In independent surveys, 69% of responders said that they would donate, yet only 30% have actually made the registration online.
In time, we hope to have this law changed (to become an opt-out system) to come into line with many other countries and increase the rates of registration.
The message I am so keen to communicate is that being an organ donor is an improbable task. So many stars need to align. The chance of it happening to your family is extremely low. But hundreds Australians die each year, while waiting for an organ transplant.
Your organs are no good to you in death, but like Sebby, you can be a lifesaver.
To read more statistics and check that you are registered, please visit donatelife.gov.au.