What happens to our bodies when we die is not often a topic that comes up at the dinner table.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But according to experts when it comes to organ donation, this is a conversation everyone needs to be having with their family.
According to the 2017 Australian Donation and Transplantation activity report, the lives of 1675 people were transformed last year as the result of organ donations.
Tasmania was the national leader when it came to donation outcomes. The state had the highest donor rate per million population at 36.5, with 19 donors.
We also had the highest consent rate at 77 per cent and the second highest percentage of people registered on the donor register at 49 per cent.
People can register to become an organ donor online in just a matter of minutes.
But in Australia, families will always be asked to provide the final consent before a donation can proceed. In the wake of a tragic death, this is often the last conversation families want to be having.
This week The Sunday Examiner shared the stories of two families directly affected by organ donation.
One from the perspective of a recipient and the second from the family of a donor.
For the Johnston’s of Invermay, a double lung transplant saved the life of 24-year-old Joe who has cystic fibrosis.
Joe was put on the transplant list after his ability to breathe became a debilitating, daily struggle.
For Launceston’s Michelle Polley, the decision of her son Aaron to register as an organ donor before his sudden death in 2003, came as a complete surprise.
The family had previously discussed the topic, but it wasn’t until doctors told her that Aaron had registered as a donor, that she became comfortable consenting.
The reality is that donation is an infrequent event. In Australia, less than 2 per cent of people who die in a hospital can actually become an organ donor.
This is due to a combination of factors, including the rates of family consent.
The decision to become an organ donor is an individual choice and certainly not something that should be taken lightly.
But considering that just one organ and tissue donor can save or potentially transform the lives of 10 or more people – it is certainly a conversation worth having, no matter how confronting it might seem.