Throughout Canberra and across Australia, the urgent need for more registered organ and tissue donors remains a pressing issue. This year, DonateLife Week runs from Sunday 28 July to Sunday 4 August with Australians being encouraged to register as organ and tissue donors. Each registration has the potential to save lives and provide hope to those waiting for a transplant.
“There are more people on the waitlist to receive an organ transplant across Australia than there are donors available,” says Nadia Burkolter, Agency Manager of DonateLife ACT. This shortage is particularly stark in the ACT, where only 27 per cent of the population has registered their wishes on the Australian Organ Donor Register, well below the national average of 36 per cent.
The impact of this disparity is profound. “When people are registered and have had a conversation with their families, the families are twice as likely to say yes to donation,” Burkolter notes. This makes the ACT’s low registration rate a significant concern. Families left to guess their loved one’s wishes are often less likely to consent to donation.
The DonateLife Week theme for 2024 is ‘Be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life,’ and that message resonates with Canberra man Michael Patten as much as anyone.
After struggling with stomach issues and being diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) in 2003, Michael was told he would need a liver transplant in the next five years.
Fast forward to the start of 2023 and still without a liver transplant, Michael’s health had deteriorated to the point where he struggled with simple tasks.
“Before, I was a shell of a person,” Michael recalls. “I struggled to get through a day and didn’t have the energy for even basic activities.”
After being urged by his specialist, Michael went on the transplant waiting list in May 2023 and by September, he received the liver transplant that has given him a new lease on life.
Post-transplant, Michael’s life has transformed dramatically. “The usual recovery time for my surgery is two to three weeks, but I walked out of the hospital in ten days,” he says. “Now, I’m up at the crack of dawn, going for walks, highly interactive, and full of energy.”
“My life has been saved multiple times. As part of my surgery, I was saved by blood donors and by the family who decided to share their loved one’s organs. Without them, I wouldn’t be here today,” says an emotional Michael.
While he has not heard back from the family that decided to donate their loved one’s liver, Michael is full of appreciation and admiration.
“I have written to my donor’s family. Even if I never hear back, I’ve expressed my absolute thanks to them. Because I know how difficult it is to lose someone, to be able to share that kind of gift with someone else, to be able to say that their life has not been in vain. A part of them lives on.”
Organ donation is an extraordinarily rare opportunity, with only about 2 per cent of hospital deaths occurring under conditions suitable for donation. This rarity amplifies the importance of every potential donor. “By signing on to the register and having a chat with your family, you become the reason someone might get a second chance at life,” Burkolter emphasises.
Despite the reluctance some may feel about discussing death, Burkolter encourages these conversations. Knowing a loved one’s wishes can provide comfort and a sense of fulfilment for families during difficult times. “It’s a kindness,” she says. “When people know what you wanted when you are no longer able to speak, it actually provides comfort.”
Addressing this issue requires raising awareness about the simplicity and importance of registering. “It’s done through donatelife.gov.au or via the Medicare app in just three quick steps,” Burkolter explains. Yet, many people in the ACT believe they are registered when they are not. She urges Canberrans to check their registration status, as a quick verification can ensure their intentions are known.
For more information and to register as an organ donor, visit DonateLife.gov.au.
