DonateLife Tasmania say 'thank you', call on state for more donors

It would free him up for the day, but the process was both physically and emotionally draining, not to mention invasive and uncomfortable.

Sudden and unexpected kidney failure in 2018 changed Ms Basset's life forever. But through the generosity of an anonymous organ-donor, the North Tasmanian can return to a normal life.

"I'm so grateful for the generous donation - it's given me a second lease on life," Mr Bassett said.

"Now I've got a more positive outlook on life, and I'm still doing things, so I'm pretty good."

His journey has not been easy. A diabetic for thirty years, Mr Bassett had become accustomed to the challenges that come with the diagnosis. However, kidney failure was a new frontier.

He would learn to become proficient in Peritoneal dialysis - a way to remove waste products manually from the bloodstream - and would become accustomed to a constant sense of lethargy that inhibited his ability to live a full life.

"By the time I got down the block, I was just physically worn out, it just took out all my energy to do anything. And I didn't feel well at all," he said. His wife would become a constant source of strength, and his career.

The decision to undergo surgery was not something he took lightly, but it would be a fateful decision.

Remarkably, after being donated a pancreas as well as a kidney, he no longer has diabetes.

Mr Bassett's story is one of luck.

But his positive health outlook is also a reflection on the unexpected and vital importance of an often overlooked form of donation.

As part of DonateLife Tasmania's 'thank you' day the service, which oversees organ donations in the state, has put out the call for more donors.

DonateLife Tasmania executive officer Davin Hibberd said between January 2010 and December 2021, 139 Tasmanians donated their organs, saving the lives of 424 transplant recipients.

"The number of Tasmanians currently recorded on the Australian Organ Donor Register is 224,074 people aged 16 years and older, at the end of 31 September 2022," Mr Hibberd said.

"This is just over 50% of the population 16 years and older which is well above the national average of 36%, and the second highest number nationally per state."

However, he said with only 2 per cent of people who die in hospital meeting criteria for organ donation, more donors were needed.

"Today there are around 1,750 Australians on wait lists for a life-saving transplant," he said.

"There are a further 13,000 Australians on dialysis, many of whom would benefit from a kidney transplant."

Mr Bassett said he has been an organ donor since he first got his driver's licence.

"I was willing to give any organs I had, because I thought 'well, I'm not going to need them'," he said.

"Since I was a young fella I've always been willing to help someone out.

"But we need more donors. We need more people to put their hands up and donate what they can."

Mr Bassett said after the long years of health scares, hospital appointments, check-ups, travel, and time spent confined to his home in Ulverstone, there was one thing he was really looking forward to.

"This time now I'm actually going to be looking for part-time work - I'm just really looking forward to not being at home," he said.

"My wife works, and depending on what she earns is what we all get. I'd really like to be able to contribute, because I haven't been able to in the past few years."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: