Donate organs as gift of life to those in need

Health Minister Ryan Park said organ donation saved lives and increasing awareness and consent was critical to lifting the donation rate.
“We know four in five Australians say they support donation but only 36 per cent are registered … We encourage residents to go online and pledge to give the gift of life to those in need,” he said.
Last year, more than 47,000 people in NSW registered as an organ and tissue donor, with 142 passing away and giving the gift of life to 392 transplant recipients.
One of those recipients, was 12-year-old Osman Akel, who was diagnosed with congenital heart disease while in utero and needed three heart operations before he was five.
Last year, he went into heart failure and his family were told he needed a heart transplant to save his life.
Osman became the first patient to undergo a paediatric heart transplant at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and is now back at school and doing well.
DonateLife NSW Co-State Medical Director Elena Cavazzoni said organ donation teams across NSW worked tirelessly to maximise every opportunity to save a life through transplant, “but there simply aren’t enough donors in NSW to match the waitlist”.
“I’m urging everyone in NSW to please register as an organ and tissue donor,” she said.
Sadly, more than 50 Australians died last year while on the organ transplant waitlist.
Anyone aged 16 and over can register online to become an organ donor in just one minute at donatelife.gov.au, or with three taps in the Medicare app. Details: donatelife.gov.au.