Organ and Tissue Donation Saves Lives
Date Published: 20/02/2012
“Ask and know your loved ones’ wishes” is the theme of DonateLife Week 2012. Beginning last Sunday 19 February, DonateLife Week aims to raise national awareness about organ and tissue donation and to increase donation rates.
City of Rockingham Mayor, Barry Sammels encouraged people to start the conversation this DonateLife Week: “Organ and tissue donors help save and improve lives. One donor can save the lives of up to seven people and significantly improve the lives of dozens more.
“When a person dies in a situation where they can be considered for organ and tissue donation their family is asked to give consent for donation. Discovering the facts about donation and discussing this with the family can help in making the decision at the appropriate time.”
In 2011 DonateLife WA had 33 people who, with the consent of their families, became organ donors and gave more than 106 people across Australia life-saving transplants. Further to this there were 66 people who donated corneas, bones and heart valves. In fact, 2011 was a record year in terms of the number of organ and tissue donors.
Across Australia there was a total of 337 organ donors saved or improved the lives of 1,001 people in need of an organ transplant.
Organs that can be donated for transplantation include heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas and the tissues that can be donated are cornea, bones and heart valves.
Factors such as age, residence overseas or health conditions are not barriers to being an organ and tissue donor. Each case is assessed individually.
Register
Registration for organ and tissue donation can be done via the national register administered by Medicare Australia on which there are almost 700,000 Western Australians registered. For those who registered through their driver’s licences, their details have been transferred onto the national register. Currently national registration forms are sent out with each driver’s licence renewal.
For more information
Please contact DonateLife, the WA Agency for Organ and Tissue Donation on 9222 0222, www.donatelife.gov.au
or donatelife@health.wa.gov.au
Click here for the DonateLife Week 2012 Online Kit which has many resources and ideas to help you get involved.
Ilinka Savich Communication Officer
08 9222 0222
Ilinka.savich@health.wa.gov.au
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