Axel received heart tissue

Person standing at a viewing platform giving two thumbs up, with the Kawarau Bungy Bridge spanning a rocky gorge and forested mountains in the background.

You can carry out a legacy and know that a part of you is still living on in the world, and give someone or multiple people the chance to thrive and be happy.

Tissue donation can mean the difference between always remaining on the sidelines or being an active participant in life – something Axel knows all too well.

Axel was born with an aortic valve stenosis and a dwarf aortic valve. The condition causes blood flow to be impaired to the body, leading to symptoms like breathlessness, chest pain and a high risk of heart failure. It meant that growing up, Axel couldn’t take part in activities most people take for granted.

‘At school, I was always on the sidelines because there weren’t any activities for people like me who couldn’t exercise,’ says Axel. ‘My family was also very sporty – my sister was a national level runner and my brother ran cross country. I would always be watching and feeling envious at the fact that I had this condition for no reason and no fault of my own.’

Axel’s condition worsened to the point he needed a heart valve transplant, which he received while in high school thanks to a generous donor. Suddenly, a whole new world of opportunities opened, and Axel has been busy making up for lost time.

‘I ran a half marathon a few years ago and I’m working up to a full marathon now – maybe even a triathlon at some point. I got into tennis and started swimming. I even went bungee jumping,’ says Axel.

With his 25th birthday approaching, and having just celebrated the 10th anniversary of his heart tissue transplant, Axel often thinks of his donor and their family who said yes to donation.

‘I want to pass on my sincere gratitude. It’s been so enabling for me. It’s an opportunity to turn something so sad, like someone’s passing, into an opportunity to give someone back life and help them live to the fullest. I just don’t think you can appreciate it enough,’ says Axel.

For those who haven’t decided yet whether they want to register as an organ or tissue donor, Axel has this message.

‘You can carry out a legacy and know that a part of you is still living on in the world, and give someone or multiple people the chance to thrive and be happy.’