The Registry Campaign

1700 Australians. Waiting. Waiting for the phone to ring giving them the good news. But the reality is, hundreds of people of these 1700 people will never receive this call. At any one time 1700 Australians alone, are on the waiting list to receive their miracle. An organ or tissue donation. Desperate is an understatement of what these people are, as a single phone call can mean the difference between life and death. Some people are on the waiting list for the rest of their life and some can wait on average from 6 months – 4 years. These 1700 Australians are not wishing for a present under the tree for Christmas, but they are praying for a much different gift. The gift of life. But the reality is that 1 in 5 people praying for this particular gift, don’t ever receive it. That is 20% on the waiting list for an organ or tissue don’t ever live to receive the good news. But, we can change this. One person who signs up on the organ and tissue donation registry can make all the difference. Just one tick can save or improve the quality of 11 people! An individual’s choice can mean the difference between life and death for the people on this waiting list, or it can improve a person’s quality of life dramatically. There is only one problem. The demand for transplant organs and tissues is growing and this means over 1700 people at any one time is waiting for life changing news. This is where the ‘DonateLife’ campaign began to think that the major issue for this is the lack of public knowledge about this particular subject. Lack of public knowledge of the registry itself mean people don’t even know where or how to become an organ or tissue donator. Raising awareness could possibly be one of the greatest things we can do to provide more people with more knowledge, to be able to make the decision to sign up to the registry. The decision to sign up on the registry can be difficult for some as the person faces contemplating their own death which understandable as simply signing up isn’t the only way you can contribute to this cause, we can campaign to raise awareness to appeal to someone comfortable to signing up to the registry. One bodies organs can save or dramatically improve the lives of 10 – 11 other people! If you were in one of these 1700 Australians position, you would like to think that you will receive your gift and you will continue living. Why not give the same hope you would like to have, to other people? It is not a choice which will affect your life, but it is a choice which will hugely affect the lives of so many others. Another issue associated with this is that 50% of people on the registry cannot donate their organs when they do pass because the family doesn’t even realise they are on the registry. It is so important to let your family know your wishes because the final decision is made by your family. Even though being a donor can be a very personal thing to some people it is important to discuss your wishes with your family as they are also affected by this decision and will be asked to give their consent from the doctor. If your family does not of your legacy then they are likely to say no. Sometimes organs or tissues are needed in (for example) Africa for a particular patient as they are at a critical stage more than a patient in Australia, therefore the hospital will arrange for the organs to be transported across continents to get to another person in time. Where the organ or tissue is received depends on priority. Therefore this issue can be either nationally, regionally and globally. You’re decision to donate your un-needed organs and tissues can affect people in other parts of the world.