This DonateLife Week (Sunday 28 July to 4 August), Australians are being asked to register as organ and tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life.
The Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney will today launch the DonateLife Week 2024 at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne.
Assistant Minister Kearney will be joined by Harlen, 2; Leila, 8; Aru, 7; and Madison, 7 who received liver, kidney, lung, heart and heart tissue transplants. The kids' life-saving transplants were only made possible through the gift of organ and tissue donation.
Last year, 28 children aged under 18 became life-saving organ donors when they died, while 80 children aged under 18 received an organ transplant. One organ donor can save the lives of up to 7 people, and many more through eye and tissue donation.
There are currently around 1,800 seriously ill Australians on the waitlist for a potentially life-saving organ transplant, including 16 children aged under 18 who are waiting for a kidney transplant, who need Australia's help.
But opportunities for transplants are missed because Australians don't register and talk to their family about organ and tissue donation. And it's not because Australians don't support donation - 4 in 5 say they do.
