DonateLife New South Wales

DonateLife NSW coordinates all organ and tissue donor activities across the state. It works with hospitals and hospital-based DonateLife medical and nursing specialists to provide professional donation services and encourage best practice to increase organ and tissue donation for transplantation.

DonateLife NSW activities include:

  • raising awareness about organ and tissue donation
  • encouraging discussion about donation
  • educating health professionals about the donation process
  • offering care and support to donor families.

Get involved and volunteer with DonateLife NSW

DonateLife NSW is always looking for local volunteers to join the program. Volunteers are integral to increasing awareness of organ and tissue donation in the community. NSW volunteers can take part in information displays, events, public speaking and media opportunities. Find out more about the NSW volunteer program or contact:

Phone: (02) 8566 1719
Email: otds-community@health.nsw.gov.au

Contact DonateLife NSW

General enquiries

Level 6, 4 Belgrave St, Kogarah NSW 2217
PO Box 486, Kogarah NSW 1485

Phone: (02) 8566 1700
Fax: (02) 8566 1755
Email: seslhd-nsworgandonation@health.nsw.gov.au

Media contact

Phone (02) 8566 1700 or 0407 419 477
Email: seslhd-otds-media@health.nsw.gov.au

For all other enquiries, email: seslhd-nsworgandonation@health.nsw.gov.au

Donor Family Support

Karen Newlan
Phone (02) 8566 1733

Clare Lynch
Phone (02) 8566 1705

Email otds-familysupport@health.nsw.gov.au

To organise a community talk or information session

Phone (02) 8566 1714
Email otds-community@health.nsw.gov.au

DonateLife NSW team

DonateLife NSW is comprised of donation specialist medical and nursing staff. The highly skilled team of organ and tissue donation specialists support the family and donation process and provide education to the community and clinicians.

DonateLife Agency staff also includes the donor family support coordinators, education coordinators, communications and media staff, and administrative support.

Photograph of Danielle Fisher

General Manager - Danielle Fisher

Danielle Fisher has over 20 years' experience in NSW Health in various roles, including management, public policy, planning, project management, research and social work.

Danielle’s background is in social work and she completed an MBA at the University of NSW in 2016. She has been involved in a range of strategic health areas, including mental health, drug and alcohol and Aboriginal infant and maternal health.

Danielle started at the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service in 2012 to manage the implementation of the NSW Government’s plan to increase organ donation. She moved into the role of General Manager in December 2013.

Danielle is motivated to find innovative and high quality solutions to major health challenges and strives to make a difference through her work with organ donation.

Medical Director – Dr Elena Cavazzoni

Co-State Medical Director – Elena Cavazzoni

Dr Elena Cavazzoni is a Staff Specialist working at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney. She completed her medical degree and PhD at the University of Sheffield, and trained as a paediatrician in London. In 2005 she moved to Brisbane, where she began her training in paediatric critical care and in 2010 she became a Fellow of the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM).

Elena’s interests are in palliative care, organ and tissue donation, transfusion medicine and neurocritical care. She helped create ‘Paediatric BASIC’ a course designed for paediatric ICU registrars and is an instructor and facilitator for Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) and the University of Sydney’s Diploma of Child Health.

Medical Director – A/Prof. Michael O’Leary

Co-State Medical Director – Michael O’Leary

Associate Professor Michael O'Leary is a Senior Staff Specialist in the Intensive Care Service, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, and a Clinical Associate Professor at Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney. He is a past President of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS).

Michael has had a longstanding interest in organ donation and transplantation that commenced in the early days of his intensive care training in Cambridge, UK, with involvement in the liver transplantation program. He represented St George Hospital, Sydney, on the National Organ Donation Collaborative and was a member of the NSW State Liaison Committee for Organ Donation from 1999 to 2009.

Photograph of Juliana Celcer

Director of Nursing – Juliana Celcer

Juliana Celcer oversees the NSW network of donation specialist nurses and coordinators as well as the Donor Family Support Service. As part of the Executive team, she provides leadership and direction to support best clinical practice and improvements in organ donation.

Juliana has extensive experience in intensive care, clinical governance and senior health management. She has a keen interest in organ donation and transplantation and was an executive sponsor during the National Organ Donation Collaborative.