It starts with a phone call.
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That is all it takes to potentially transform many lives in a community.
When DonateLife Tasmania donation specialist nurse coordinator Guy Vanderkelen sees the number of an intensive care consultant pop up, he knows the next 48 hours are crucial.
They call to let them know that a patient had died or was on a mechanical ventilator and they were unable to save their life, Mr Vanderkelen said.
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Quickly turning to his computer, he accesses the organ donor register to check if they are registered and do not have any exclusions, such as cancer.
“Time is critical.”
But it was also valued as it signalled the end of a life.
End-of-life options, including organ donation, were discussed with families before they were given time to come to terms with the news, he said.
“Bad news they have no choice about receiving, but organ donation is a choice the family has.”
While some may baulk at the idea of giving families information about organ donation so soon after losing their loved one, Mr Vanderkelen said he found it could offer relief.
“It’s offering something they’re most likely to look back on and find solace,” he said.
Last year, 503 donations were made across Australia.
Eleven of them were made in Tasmania.
If families consent to a donation, clinical testing and screenings are undertaken often to laboratories in Victoria.
“It ensures an organ is going to the best match and minimises rejection,” Mr Vanderkelen said.
He is one of seven donation nurse specialists in Tasmania, and said it was a team effort to organise a transplant.
“We work 24 hours a day to ensure we have the best chance for success.”
Families could choose which organs to donate and were supported throughout the process, he said.
Once a organ is matched, teams of transplant surgeons fly in on jets to perform the donor surgery.
After that, they have up to four hours for a heart, six hours for a liver, up to 10 hours for lungs or 24 hours for a kidney to be transplanted.
“We’ve organised police escorts for a heart and surgeons to get to the airport,” he said.
The process formed a special relationship with a donor’s family as they shared stories of their loved one, Mr Vanderkelen said.
“The donation has ripple effects, it’s not just affecting the recipient, but their family, colleagues and community. It touches many people.”
A donor family support coordinator provides ongoing support as required to a donor’s family. Information about the donation and transplant outcomes are available if the family choose to find out more.
Most do, Mr Vanderkelen said.
- To sign up for the Australian Organ Donor Register, visit www.register.donatelife.gov.au with your medicare card number.