Gift of Life (GoLi), the leading non-governmental body promoting organ donation in the ACT and surrounding districts of NSW, welcomes the record organ donation rates achieved in Australia as well as in the Australian Capital Territory in 2010.

According to figures just released by the Australian and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry and the Organ and Tissue Authority, 309 deceased Australians donated their organs and tissue for transplant  which resulted in 931 Australians becoming recipients.  Likewise, in the ACT 10 donors enabled 32 recipients to benefit from transplantation.  The extraordinary generosity of those who donated their organs and their families who supported their wishes saved or improved greatly the lives of so many other Australians waiting on transplant waiting lists.

Gift of Life President, David O'Leary, said " This is a wonderful result.  It relates directly to the Government's reforms in this area and the role of the Organ and Tissue Authority, to the considerable efforts of the medical teams involved in transplantation and to growing community awareness raising, including by community groups such as Gift of Life. While the record results are very pleasing, they represent just the beginning. With over 1700 Australians currently on transplant waiting lists, a considerable gap remains between numbers of potential recipients and numbers of donors which needs to be bridged."

 "Gift of Life acknowledges the hard work and long hours of staff at the Canberra Hospital and at DonateLife ACT for achieving the great results in the ACT for 2010, and we thank them for their tireless efforts".

Gift of Life supports the Australian Organ and Tissue Authority in promoting the national DonateLife campaign encouraging individual Australians to discover the facts about organ donation, to make a personal decision to register their wish to become an organ donor and, importantly, to discuss their wishes with their family.

Mr O'Leary said "Registration and family consent is critical in enabling organ donation to proceed".

Next month, Gift of Life will be organising a major annual community event - the DonateLife Walk - over the bridges and around Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra in support of increased organ and tissue donation.  Last year around 2000 people took part and the event received wide publicity both locally and nationally.  This year it is expected that a wide range of prominent personalities, businesses, government departments and schools will participate. It will commence at Regatta Point on Wednesday 23 February at 7am.  Canberrans are encouraged to take part and to register for the event on the Gift of Life website -  http://www.giftoflife.asn.au

Contact:
David  O'Leary
Gift of Life
Phone:  0411 245 733