Four out of five people in the ACT say they agree with organ donation, yet just 25 per cent of Canberrans are actually registered – one of the lowest percentages in the country.
To turn those statistics around, the annual Gift of Life’s DonateLife Walk is about to kick off again this year, on its 15th anniversary.
Canberrans are encouraged to walk and donate, but most importantly, take one minute to register yourself as an organ donor.
Due to COVID-19, this year will yet again be a virtual event, with walks taking place between 1-7 April in every state and territory.
Participants can share their walking adventures, up to 5km, using the hashtags #giftoflife and #giftoflifewalk2022.
Along with the virtual walks, there will be one organised walk around Lake Burley Griffin on Wednesday 6 April at 8am, and Canberrans are invited to put on their running shoes and support the cause.
Knowing first-hand what it means to be an organ donor recipient is local woman, Jane Brennan.
Diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2008, shortly after immigrating to Australia, was a total shock to Jane’s system. She had not a single symptom that would remotely suggest she was living with a life-threatening heart condition.
In 2016, she was given the gift of life from an anonymous heart donation, and she struggles to find words that truly express her gratitude.
“To be a heart donor recipient is the best thing… I’m forever thankful for the donor and the family for giving me the gift of life,” Jane said.
“If I could talk to the donor today, I’d just say thank you. It means so much to myself and my husband and we got our life back.”
To be able to walk around Canberra effortlessly was a far-off dream for Jane, but thanks to her donor, it came true. She joked that her husband now has to tell her to slow down.
“After the transplant, my aim was to walk up Mount Ainslie, but I knew pre-transplant that I just couldn’t. My friends wanted to do it, so my husband said we’ll do it in stages instead of just doing it all in one go,” Jane said.
“But we did it the first time, straight to the top. I just sat up there and cried. You get a whole new outlook on life after a transplant, and I just appreciated seeing that view so much more.”
Jane’s final plea to Canberrans and Australians who are not yet registered to be an organ donor is simple.
“Please just register and sign up to be an organ donor. Just sign up. It’s given me my life back and you could save someone else’s life,” she said.
Visit www.giftoflife.asn.au to register, learn how to become a donor, and donate.
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