Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week (AODAW) will conclude in Melbourne today when young cyclist Josh Moorman finishes an 1830km ride from Brisbane to Melbourne in Federation Square.
Inspired by his mother Sandra’s battle with liver disease and knowing first-hand the pain and anxiety of waiting for an organ to become available, 17 year-old Josh decided to pedal down the east coast to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.
“Mum received a liver transplant in 2004, but has again become sick and is waiting for another life-saving transplant,” Josh said.
“Whether Mum receives a second much-needed transplant or not, I want people to know the difference someone’s decision to donate has made to our family and that every extra day together is a wonderful gift,” he said.
Currently Australia has one of the lowest donation rates in the developed world, with only 10 donors per million population.
Health Minister Bronwyn Pike, who will ride with Josh and 20 others today, said although the majority of Australians support organ and tissue donation for transplantation, many have not made their wishes known about organ and tissue donation to anyone.
“Each year many of Australians die waiting for a transplant, but this figure could be reduced if more Australians communicated their wishes to their family and registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register,” Ms Pike said.
“Health professionals find families who do not know their loved one’s wishes are faced with a very difficult decision in extremely traumatic circumstances. Ensuring your family know your wishes is one of the most important steps you can take,” she said.
One family who had discussed organ donation before the sudden death of their 14 year-old son and brother, David, was Melbourne family, the Blands.
“When David died suddenly last year and we were faced with the possibility of donation, it was an easy decision for our family to make as we knew what David would have wanted and what we wanted,” said Margaret Bland, David’s mother.
Margaret will meet Josh at Federation Square where he will hand her the ‘Flame of Life’ – the national symbol for organ donation – as a reminder of the gift that is passed from donor and donor family to recipient and recipient family. “David was a thriving, happy, healthy teenager who loved basketball and bike riding. Our decision to donate his organs changed the lives of five young people on the transplant waiting list,” she said.
“It is lovely to honour David at an event that involves one of things he loved most – cycling. It is also an opportunity to highlight to other families the importance of family discussion and the positive impact of donation.”
Organ donation is only medically possible in less than one percent of hospital deaths, and currently only approximately 50 percent of families consent to organ donation of a loved one.
One organ donor can save and improve the quality of life of up to 10 other people.
LifeGift encourages Victorians to discuss the issue of organ and tissue donation with their family and friends and join the Australian Organ Donor Register by calling 1800 777 203, logging onto www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/organ or visiting your local Medicare office.
LifeGift – managed by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service – is the Victorian Organ Donation Service and works with hospitals across Victoria and Tasmania to organise the donation of organs for transplant.
