The Albanese Government is encouraging more people to register as organ and tissue donors this DonateLife Week.
About 7.8 million people have already registered, but Australia urgently needs more donors with 1,800 people on the organ transplant waitlist and a further 14,000 on dialysis for kidney failure.
One organ donor can save the lives of up to seven people and help many more with eye and tissue donations.
For many on the waitlist, donation is the difference between life and death, and while four in five Australians say they support donation, only one in three are registered as an organ donor.
This DonateLife Week, Australians are urged to consider the life changing impact they could have as registered organ and tissue donor via the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR).
There are three ways to register:
- through your myGov account or the myGov app if you've linked Medicare
- through the Express Plus Medicare app
- via donatelife.gov.au/register
Once registered, it's important to tell family and friends so there is no doubt about your decision.
KC was given a second chance at life after he had a heart attack when he was just 11 years old. He was on the heart transplant waiting list for more than 400 days when he received a call a heart was available. KC is now a happy and healthy 17 year old First Nations man who is taking part in the DonateLife Week campaign to encourage more young Australians to register.
DonateLife Week 2024 is running from Sunday 28 July to Sunday 4 August 2024, with events being held in each state and territory.
Quote attributable to Minister Shorten:
"Becoming a registered organ donor could help save someone's life, and mean the world to their families and loved ones.
"One minute of your time registering, could give someone else a lifetime."
"With more than 19 million Medicare accounts linked to myGov, it's a quick and easy way to register to become an organ and tissue donor."
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister Kearney:
"There is nothing more powerful than meeting a child who's had a life-saving organ transplant to know just how important it is that more Australians register as organ and tissue donors.
"As a former nurse, I've seen first-hand what happens when Australian families have the conversation about organ and tissue donation and what a life-changing impact this has.
"This DonateLife Week, I'm calling on everyone to register as a donor and to talk about organ and tissue donation. One day, the life of a child you know just may depend on it."
