A record of your decision

The Australian Organ Donor Register is the official national register for organ and tissue donation.

The register keeps a record of a person’s decision to be a donor and of the organs and tissue they agree to donate. Authorised medical personnel can access the register 24 hours a day from anywhere in Australia. This means that when someone dies in a situation where donation might be possible, medical personnel can immediately know whether the deceased person wished to be a donor. If the deceased person recorded their decision to consent on the register, a DonateLife Donor Coordinator will meet the family to talk about donation.

By recording your decision on the register you can be confident that your decision will be known should the circumstances arise where you may become an organ or tissue donor. If you are not registered, your family will still be asked to consent to organ donation. That is why it is important that your family knows your wishes.

To register to become an organ and tissue donor:

• visit the Australian Organ Donor Register website to register online

• call 1800 777 203

• fill out a form at any Medicare office

Your local GP may also have registration forms. You must be 16 years or older to register your organ donation decision on the register.

Even if you have previously registered your decision elsewhere (for example by ticking a box on your driver’s licence renewal) it is still important that you register on the Australian Organ Donor Register as it is the only national register and details can be linked to your Medicare number.

To find out more, including your current status on the Australian Organ Donor Register, call Medicare Australia on 1800 777 203 or visit your local Medicare office.

To indicate you are an organ and tissue donor on your Facebook Timeline:

You can now indicate that you are a registered organ and tissue donor on your Facebook Timeline.

To do this:

• Go to your Facebook Timeline
• Click on "Life Event"
• Select "Health and Wellness" and choose "organ donor"
• You can select which of your Facebook friends you want to receive this information by activating the appropriate privacy setting.

If you have not registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register, make sure that you do. The Australian Organ Donor is the only national register and registering your decision with them means that your donation decision can be verified 24 hours a day, seven days a week by authorised medical personnel, anywhere in Australia.

Most importantly you need to discuss your organ and tissue donation wishes with your family as your family will always be asked to confirm your donation wishes before donation for transplantation can proceed.

When you decide to become an organ donor you can also decide to become an eye and tissue donor. Eye and tissue donors can donate eye, heart and muscoskeletal tissue, skin and pancreas islets. Eye and tissue donors can benefit dozens of people in need.