June 2026 DonateLife Network Update

Registrations now open for the 2026 DonateLife Symposium 

The 2026 DonateLife Symposium, held in conjunction with the Commonwealth Tribute to Life, is taking place from Friday 18 to Saturday 19 September at the Sydney Masonic Centre. 

Bringing together clinicians and other professionals from the organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation sectors, the symposium offers a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and share ideas driving best practice and innovation. Featuring exciting international speakers alongside national leaders, this event aims to inspire collaboration and fresh thinking across the donation and transplantation community.

The program will span one and a half days, leading up to the TTS International Congress. The Symposium is being held in conjunction with the Commonwealth Tribute to Life, meaning we will be able to hear from and network with donation professionals from Canada, UK, India, South Africa, the Caribbean and others. 

The program will include topics such as:

• clinical practice evolution across the Commonwealth
• educational developments
• meeting the needs of those who are falling through the gaps - equity and access to donation
• the donation specialist – supporting evolving skills and roles
• the registration challenge to increase consent
• delivering culturally safe programs.

Registrations are now open and you should have received an email with details regarding the event and registration process. Please check with your manager for guidance on attendance and other support before registering. 

For more information, please contact OTAEvents@donatelife.gov.au 

The 2026 DonateLife Symposium in conjunction with the Commonwealth Tribute to Life

Introducing our new OTA Advisory Board members 

On Thursday 23 April, the Assistant Minister responsible for the OTA, the Hon Rebecca White MP, announced the appointment of 2 new members of the OTA Advisory Board. We inducted Mr Michael O’Neill and Dr Fiona Mackie at the most recent Board meeting on Tuesday 5 May. 

Mr Michael O’Neill brings both lived experience as an organ transplant recipient and as a senior health executive with experience across government, healthcare and professional services. Dr Fiona Mackie is a paediatric nephrologist with more than 24 years of experience as a senior clinical researcher and leader in clinical transplantation and organ donation.

Their wealth of experience adds to the Board’s collective expertise, and we look forward to working with them to support the national program.

(Left to right) Lucinda Barry AM, OTA CEO; Mr Michael O’Neill, OTA Board member; Dr Helen Szoke AO, OTA Board Chair; and Dr Fiona Mackie, OTA Board member

Success at the Australasian Reporting Awards

The OTA’s Governance and Parliamentary team took out the Best industry sector award for Public Administration – national at the Australasian Reporting Awards for the OTA’s annual report. They were also finalists for Annual report of the year.

This is a truly outstanding accomplishment and a testament to the immense hard work, dedication and care that went into delivering such a high-quality annual report. Congratulations team!

Finalists for Annual report of the year at the Australasian Reporting Awards	(Left to right) Alex Morgan, Nanette Pritchard and Catherine Crowley from the OTA’s Governance and Parliamentary team

Janette Hall Professional Training and Development Scholarship Program

The Scholarship is provided in memory of Janette Hall, a donation specialist nurse who became an organ and tissue donor in December 2010. The scholarship was established to support the professional development of nursing and allied health staff working within the DonateLife Network. 

The next scholarship round opens in August this year. Take the time now to start thinking about what you might achieve, attend or develop in the coming 12 months. Applicants are encouraged to propose activities that increase their knowledge and skills in organ donation, and clearly align with the OTA Strategy 2022-2027. 

The Scholarship Guideline for Applicants and other relevant documents are available on the Learning Management System.

If you have any questions, please contact the team at education@donatelife.gov.au.

OrganMatch changes on the way

Starting mid-June, the National OrganMatch team will be hitting the road. We’ll be visiting DonateLife agencies in person for face-to-face implementation training of the Organ Offer Management module in OrganMatch.

This exciting new module will:

• capture and document all offers
• manage organ-specific rotations
• support urgent offering
• share donor charts seamlessly with transplant units, and much more.

Your friendly OrganMatch Super Users and managers will be in touch soon with all the details on your training dates, as we prepare for a planned go-live in early October 2026. You’ll also hear directly from the National OrganMatch office as your session gets closer with further information — so keep an eye out.

We look forward to seeing you all in person over the coming months and taking this exciting step forward together.

Resource hubs 

The clinical programs team have been reviewing the way we provide resources and communicate around education and training for DonateLife. As we expand the national education program and its offerings, we are looking to build an educator hub in the DonateLife learning site (LMS). This hub will provide an opportunity for DonateLife Network staff, including facilitators and educators, to access useful resources that will support the delivery of all types of education, and build an education community. 

In addition, we are developing a clinical champions hub on the LMS. There will also be a page where we can house information on useful resources for network staff championing organ and tissue donation and driving change in their hospitals.

Education review 

The Education Working Group (EdWG) was formed mid-2023 to review and update the National Education Program for health professionals working in the donation sector. 

The EdWG has met regularly since it was established, overseeing the work of 5 subgroups covering:

• advanced communication training for donation specialists (replacing the Practical Family Donation Conversation workshop)
• Principles of Donation Course (replacing the Core Family Donation Conversation workshop)
• hospital based staff education
• train the trainer program for education delivery
• professional development pathways for the DonateLife Nursing Network.

The subgroups have had many fantastic contributors from across the DonateLife network, and we really appreciate the time and commitment shown by everyone who has attended the meetings, helped review resources, or provided feedback. This work would truly not have been possible without your efforts. As the subgroups complete their work plans, we will share news and updates from each of them. Watch for the regular education update from education@donatelife.gov.au coming soon, which will outline the changes and rollout of the national education program. 

The professional development pathway for donation nurses subgroup

This subgroup has focused on the professional development, education and training needs of donation nurses within the DonateLife network. 

The subgroup scoped and benchmarked current education and training offerings against international education materials. This assisted in maintaining best practice and international standards for education development and delivery.

The subgroup recommended developing a resource hub to host accredited resources, educational materials, and references for donation nurses to expand their professional development. 

The subgroup developed and sought feedback and support on a professional development pathway. It aims to incorporate delivery of virtual and hybrid models of education and resources that have demonstrated significant value and improved accessibility for end users. The pathway (image below) outlines mandatory and optional training opportunities for donation nurses throughout their donation career. It aligns with the key elements of the national education strategy and delivery, and how it is envisioned learners will experience our programs.  

The Professional Development Pathway for Donation Nurses

ANZOD publishes 2026 Annual Report

The Australia and New Zealand Organ Donation (ANZOD) Registry has published its Annual Report for 2026, which reflects data up to 31 December 2025.

This is the first major redevelopment of the ANZOD Annual Report in more than 12 years and reflects over 18 months of dedicated work. The extensive project has involved a comprehensive review of the report’s structure, content, analytical frameworks, presentation, and supporting materials. The aim has been to ensure the report continues to meet the changing needs of stakeholders across the donation and transplantation sector.

The redesigned report provides a clearer, more contemporary approach to presenting data and insights, supporting improved accessibility and usability for clinicians, policy makers, researchers, and the broader sector. It also reflects ANZOD’s ongoing commitment to high-quality reporting and meaningful data analysis.

The report is available to read online with chapters available individually, together with associated data tables and figures.

The 2026 ANZOD Annual Report

Year to date data 

Up to the end of May, there were:   

• 247 deceased donors for January to May, a 10.8% increase over the same period in 2025 (223).  
• 658 transplant recipients for January to May, a 13.3% increase over the same period in 2025 (581). 

The DonateLife Audit data to the end of May 2026 shows a national consent rate of 55%, up 2% during the same period in 2025.   

Other key metrics include:    

• 90% overall referral rate, down from 91% during the same period in 2025.    
• 87% of staff raised discussions involved a Donation Specialist Nurse, up from 86% during the same period in 2025.

Community Awareness Grants 2026

On Thursday 2 April, the Minister responsible for the OTA, the Hon Rebecca White MP, announced the 2026 DonateLife community partners.

This year, 13 organisations will host DonateLife Week 2026 events and activities, or deliver national marketing or public relations strategies. Local events include community walks, events targeting university students and sporting fans, and engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. 

Planning is well underway with Curated Australia, who will run community walks in Canberra and Sydney; the Migrant Centre, who are engaging 9 different ethnic, regional and language-specific communities; and Celebrate Diversity (for Focal Leap Ventures) who are running workshops with migrant communities in Victoria. 

In the lead up to DonateLife Week, you’ll start to see marketing activities from some of our new partners. We will have regional television advertising on WIN TV, promotion for millennial women in Women’s Agenda and on the Shameless podcast, a radio campaign delivered through Media Heads, and stories, ads and social media through News Corp.

Our international award-winning in-game ads will also be back to get young people and First Nations audiences thinking about donation while they’re already on a device.

Our community partner, pixel42 (for WIN TV) filming video content featuring KC, a heart recipient from Adelaide

DonateLife Week 2026

DonateLife Week is fast approaching, running from Sunday 26 July to Sunday 2 August. We want all Australians to be talking about organ and tissue donation, and here’s how you can help or get involved:

• Our supporter hub has lots of great ideas on how you can plan events, downloadable resources, and messages about how to register and have a conversation about organ and tissue donation.
• Keep across our events page, where we’ll publish events running throughout DonateLife Week that you can attend.
• If you or anyone you know has a favourite café or business, consider asking them if they’d like to support DonateLife Week through our ‘2 sips to register’ activity. All they need to do is sign up through our website and we’ll send them everything they need, including stickers for their coffee cups or products, and posters to put on their walls. 

On Thursday 4 June and Wednesday 10 June, the OTA hosted information sessions for volunteers and supporters who wanted to find out how to support DonateLife Week. If you weren’t able to attend, you can watch the volunteers session recording here.

If you’d like more information about local events happening near you or are after resources and support, please reach out to the communications officer in your local DonateLife agency.

The DonateLife Week Supporter hub is live

Increasing organ donation rates through drivers licence registrations

You may have noticed increased media coverage in the last few months about increasing registrations through drivers licences. Most publicly, the ‘Count me in’ campaign’, led by The Courier Mail, had content running across all News Corp newspapers in March and April. The campaign shared stories about organ and tissue donation, and asked governments to consider drivers licence registrations.

Additionally, there is growing engagement by responsible Ministers across the country. To implement drivers licence registrations would require agreement by Commonwealth and State and Territory health and transport/roads Ministers. South Australia’s new Health Minister Blair Boyer presented at the Health Ministers Meeting on Friday 1 May, and all Ministers agreed to support drivers licence registrations.

We also have the support of Australia’s Police Commissioners, who have committed to helping us raise awareness during DonateLife Week.

One of the stories that has run during the ‘Count me in’ campaign	One of the stories that has run during the ‘Count me in’ campaign

The future of community engagement

Over the next few months, the OTA will be leading a project to refresh how DonateLife engages with our community to shape a new and more effective approach to community engagement. The OTA’s Community Engagement Group (CEG) has traditionally played this role, but we now have an opportunity to reshape this group. We want future engagement practices to be more flexible, more inclusive and offer more opportunities for people to get involved. We also want future engagement practices to accurately reflect our current engagement landscape, so will be reaching out to seek your views.

The OTA look forward to working closely with DonateLife agencies to reshape how we engage with members of the community and are looking forward to having a new structure in place by the next DonateLife Community Forum which we will hold in May 2027. If you’d like to be involved in this work, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Communications and Engagement team at COMMUNICATIONS@donatelife.gov.au

DonateLife Week 2026 planning

Our focus is engaging stakeholders and volunteers in the lead-up to DLW, including working closely with Curated Australia, a 2026 DonateLife community parter. We’re excited to support Curated Australia to host a ‘Walk for a cause’ in Canberra during DonateLife Week. This will be followed by a ‘Night for a cause’ gala dinner to bring the community together in support of organ and tissue donation.

Community Engagement 

We’ve had a strong and productive period of engagement, including Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y) Program outreach during term 1. We’ve also participated at several events including the 2026 Volunteering ACT Expo, the ACT Nursing and Midwifery Careers Expo 2026, and the Uqasha Imran Foundation launch.

We delivered presentations to Probus and Lions clubs and attended engagements in Eurobodalla, in support of our dedicated advocate and volunteer, Brad Rossiter.

Our collaboration with Volunteering ACT and Canberra Health Services volunteers continued, as we prepare for the delivery and successful implementation of the DonateLife ACT volunteer program.

JC Chatelin, DonateLife ACT Donation Specialist Nurse Coordinator (right) at the Uqasha Imran Foundation launch	Wendy Barber from DonateLife ACT at the 2026 Volunteering ACT Expo

DonateLife Week 2026 planning

We are actively preparing for DonateLife Week, starting with activating volunteers and community supporters in mid-June. Key activities include:

• a community event with the Steele Foundation in Hawkesbury on Saturday 13 June 2026
• working with the Ministry of Health and Service NSW on a range of campaign content, including a customer email, Service NSW website copy, video content for 118 service centres, content for the MyServiceNSW app, and a collaborative social media reel
• reaching out to councils, major venues and stadiums for monument illumination outreach
• building outreach lists for the 2 sips to register activity, going beyond cafés to include clubs and pharmacies across NSW
• stakeholder outreach, including to NSW Police for a group photo and social asset distribution.

Clinical activity 

NSW has seen a 10–15% increase in actual donors in 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Consent rates have remained stable, so the increase is most likely driven by a rise in family approaches. Referrals also increased by 12%, though most of the additional referrals were identified as unsuitable for donation on review.

The rise in family approaches is likely due to many factors, one being our medical suitability review process. This monthly meeting between State Medical Directors, Donation Specialist Coordinators and transplant physicians from all solid organ transplant units, has identified more marginal potential donor opportunities. It is possible this has encouraged earlier or more proactive family approaches in marginal cases.

Our Clinical Network Meeting in February was very well attended. Presentations included Associate Professor Gail Moloney on the WeCare CALD communities project, an overview of the implications of donor bone marrow transplantation for tissue typing and crossmatch, and a discussion of network goals for 2026. We have also recommenced our regular Donation Specialist Medical Teams meetings, which will support ongoing collaboration across the network in 2026. 

Community engagement 

Juliana Celcer, Director of Nursing, and Clare Lynch, Family Support Coordinator, NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service, at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day

In May, Community Engagement Officer Resmi Panikulam Joy (South Western Sydney Local Health District) delivered a presentation to Christ the King Syro Malabar Parish in Holsworthy, a Kerala Catholic community. Approximately 400 people attended across all age groups. Several attendees indicated they intended to register afterwards, and Resmi had the opportunity to inform students aged 16–22 about eligibility to register. It was one of the largest community presentations delivered in NSW this year. 

Resmi Panikulam Joy, Community Development Officer at South Western Sydney Local Health District, presents to the Christ the King Syro Malabar Parish community in Holsworthy, May 2026

DonateLife Week 2026 planning

In preparation for DonateLife Week this year, various bookings have already been secured for banner placements and monument light ups. Our team is planning to make this the biggest DonateLife Week to date!

The volunteering program is ramping up in the NT, with a fantastic turnout to the most recent training session which was a lovely social event. Onboarding will continue for volunteers right up until DonateLife Week, with another training session planned in June.

World Kidney Day

To celebrate World Kidney Day on Thursday 12 March, the DonateLife NT team arranged a joint stall with the Top End Renal Team in the foyer of the Royal Darwin Hospital. Our aim was to improve awareness around kidney disease, which is very prevalent in the Top End. After consulting the very helpful renal dieticians, the DonateLife NT team provided a simple, healthy breakfast, which was very well received. In addition to drawing people in, the breakfast was a great conversation starter for the clinical team.

The Top End Renal team were fantastic and showed up in force. They displayed various dialysis machines and information brochures, to help people understand the importance of maintaining kidney health. Great conversations were held with many people visiting the hospital regarding good diets, preventing kidney disease and the importance of donation to enable people with kidney disease to get off dialysis.

The DonateLife NT team, and the Top End Renal team hosted a joint stall in the Royal Darwin Hospital foyer for World Kidney Day

Street Smart High

The annual Street Smart High event run by the Automobile Association of the Northern Territory (AANT) was again held successfully at the Darwin Convention Centre. Around 1,500 students from various schools attended the event on Thursday 26 March, which centred around road safety. 

In addition to Dr Paul Goldrick, Medical Director speaking during the event and highlighting the importance of organ and tissue donation, the team had a stall which was very well attended. Students had their knowledge of organ and tissue donation in the NT tested with a quiz, with correct answers earning the chance to spin the wheel and score a prize.

Dr Paul Goldrick, Medical Director presenting to students at the Street Smart High event at the Darwin Convention Centre

International Food Fair

Dr (Mrs) Nirmala Godavitharana, an incredible supporter and medical professional, invited DonateLife NT to the International Food Fair 2026 at the Buddhist Temple in Darwin on Friday 29 March. The announcers kindly shared messages about the importance of registering and visited the stall to ask questions throughout the night. The food on offer was fantastic, as were the various cultural performances. 

Alex Hinchcliff, Donation Specialist Nurse and Megan Newman, Communications and Community Engagement Officer at the International Food Fair 2026 at the Buddhist Temple in Darwin	(Left to right) Megan Newman, Communications and Community Engagement Officer, Dr (Ms) Ruchira Kotambage and Dr (Mrs) Nirmala Godavitharana at the International Food Fair at the Buddhist Temple in Darwin

Sports involvement

This year, the DonateLife NT team have engaged with both NRL and AFL games at TIO Stadium in Darwin. In addition to the NRL game on Friday 17 April where the Penrith Panthers scored the match-winning try against the Dolphins, the DonateLife NT team also attended Round 9 of the AFL on 9 May, where the Gold Coast Suns defeated St Kilda. Spirits were high, and there was good engagement with footie fans at both events with some very meaningful conversations and registrations at the DonateLife stall.

Alex Hinchcliff and Nadine Tinsley, Donation Specialist Nurses with Megan Newman, Communications and Community Engagement officer at the DonateLife stall at Round 9 of the AFL at TIO Stadium in Darwin	Megan Newman, Communications and Community Engagement officer engaging with a group of young people at the NRL game at the TIO Stadium in Darwin

DonateLife Week 2026 planning

In preparation for DonateLife Week 2026, we are using our volunteer newsletter, network emails and private Facebook group to activate our volunteers and supporters. We are encouraging them to contact local councils and monuments to light up, providing them with a template email to send to the monument owners.

We are also encouraging our volunteers to attend the DonateLife Week Supporters information sessions. To activate supporters and volunteers to engage with local businesses, we will use all our communication channels to challenge them to approach at least 2 local businesses each. 

For those who are less extroverted, we’re encouraging them to team up with other volunteers and supporters and walk the streets of their local business hub. We will also provide packs for them to take to businesses and will host a packing day for those who like to be involved behind the scenes.

We are encouraging them to think outside the box by engaging pharmacies, takeaway shops, GPs, hairdressers and more. We will also use this planning stage to engage with other government departments. We’re encouraging our supporters and volunteers with contacts in these agencies to provide us with contacts or assist them with organising an internal event.

Community engagement

Between March and May, our DonateLife coordinators presented at school talks and attended career expos at 4 different schools. Our nursing and communications staff, along with volunteers, attended a 3-day Brisbane Careers Expo and the Paniyiri Greek Festival. Community events also included talks at Broadwater Rotary, Nambour Gardening Club, and QUT Biomed society. So far, 5 new volunteers have been onboarded into our DonateLife QLD program. 

News Corp’s Courier Mail have been leading a media campaign to bring back organ donation registration on drivers licences. The ‘Count Me In’ campaign has featured stories from transplant recipients and donor families calling on government departments and ministers to enact this change. 

The Coalition has since issued a statement of support. In Queensland, Treasurer David Janetzki said the state was carefully considering allocating money for the organ donation scheme in this year’s budget. The Queensland digital drivers licence app has also been updated to include a hyperlink to the DonateLife ‘Join the register’ webpage on the app’s homepage. Customer Service Centres across the state are also showing their support by displaying DonateLife posters and brochures.

Screenshot of the QLD digital drivers licence app

‘Mad For Life’ returned to Cairns, which is an annual comedy event honouring Maddi Sivyer. Maddi received a life-saving liver transplant at just 12, giving her 13 extra years to chase her passion for comedy. Maddi was a proud Olkola Teppathiggi woman, a loved family member and friend, and her achievements included a psychology degree, stand-up comedy, drag and martial arts.

She was a passionate advocate for DonateLife, sharing her journey to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation, especially among First Nations People. Maddi sadly passed away at the age of 25 and went on to donate eye tissue, giving the gift of sight to 2 people and fulfilling her wishes to become a donor.

Mad For Life, comedy event at Cairns

Congratulations to our Community Champion Jaylyn Rongo for receiving the QLD Volunteering ‘QLD Youth Volunteer of the Year Award’. Jaylyn received a heart transplant when he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy at 17 years old. Today, he volunteers with DonateLife QLD by speaking at schools, helping at information stalls and promoting organ donation through his clothing brand. On top of juggling social work, he also contributes to our DonateLife QLD Youth Advisory Group and the Metro South Health Youth Advisory Council.

Jaylyn Rongo with his QLD Youth Volunteer of the Year Award

DonateLife Week 2026 planning

DonateLife SA’s plans are well underway for DonateLife Week. During our planning stage, the goal is engaging with the registered segments of the population, who are willing to encourage others to register as organ donors.

To achieve this, we are focusing on:

• relaunching our volunteer program
• planning and promoting DonateLife Week events, and inviting multiple organisations to light up buildings and monuments in our vibrant magenta
• strengthening DonateLife’s presence in the P.A.R.T.Y. program.

The re-launch of a fresh and structured volunteer program has been a long time in the making in South Australia. We will host a morning tea in May inviting everyone who has expressed interest in volunteering with us, so we can meet face to face and share firsthand an overview of the program. ‘Better Impact’ will be introduced as a comprehensive platform for training and volunteering opportunities, such as the ‘2 sips to register’ activity, where volunteers will request cafés and other businesses to display our posters and distribute stickers with our QR code. 

Our DonateLife Week key activation event will be a quiz night in a popular pub in Adelaide, presented by comedian Jono Makai. We’ll invite the community to enjoy a great night out and help raise awareness for organ and tissue donation. Our community partner Adelaide University will also raise awareness through their Midwinter BBQ, scheduled for beginning of August.

We have already received support from organisations to illuminate their building or monument magenta during DonateLife Week. This year, we are going to spread our message further by working with communications teams in these organisations. Our aim is to make it clear why their building or monument has been lit up in magenta, and to inspire more people to say yes to organ donation.

Finally, negotiations have commenced for a long-term strategy to present alongside the P.A.R.T.Y. Program at high schools throughout SA. Currently, DonateLife SA does not have a presence at these events, which accounts for 40% of the program. This arrangement will help us reach more youth audiences, which is a priority group for DonateLife. 

Community engagement 

In March, DonateLife’s team attended Close the Gap Day alongside AKction – a research group focused on Aboriginal kidney care. It was a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of organ donation to First Nations peoples by linking our message to kidney disease. This is a serious health issue for these populations, particularly in remote areas.

DonateLife’s team attended Close the Gap Day alongside AKction

DonateLife’s team was present at the ‘9NEWS for Your Club’ event in April at the recently upgraded Modbury Football Club. Excitingly, there was a live cross on Channel 9 where DonateLife was mentioned live on air and shown on screen. 

We engaged with the local community through crafts and a jellybean guessing game. The attendees didn’t know that the numbers of jellybeans in each jar represented a statistic recently posted on the donation and transplantation data webpage.

DonateLife SA at the ‘9NEWS for Your Club’ event, at the Modbury Football Club

Last but not least, the Hon Blair Boyer, SA Minister for Health and Wellbeing, held a media event on Thursday 30 April pushing for organ donation registration to be added back to drivers licences nationally. Minister Boyer took this to the national Health Minister’s meeting on Friday 1 May, where all Ministers agreed to support this.

The Minister was joined by Oren Klemich, OTA board member and donor dad, and Heather Makris, a liver recipient.

The Hon. Blair Boyer, SA Minister for Health and Wellbeing; Heather Makris, and Oren Klemich proudly show their SA drivers licence showing ‘organ donor’

DonateLife Week 2026 planning 

DonateLife TAS has commenced planning by securing several key monuments to be illuminated, as well as booking billboards, bus backs and street banners. There will be several newly onboarded volunteers that will assist the Tasmanian team with the ‘2 sips to register’ activity, events across the state and guest speaking opportunities. Our key activation for DonateLife Week is still in the works, so watch this space.

Tasmanian Police support Launceston Transplant Games

The team from Transplant Australia are steaming ahead with planning and preparations for the 2026 Transplant Games hosted in Launceston. Registrations officially opened for the games at the end of March 2026.

DonateLife TAS will support the 5k Fun Run and provide materials to promote our work – and, as always, encourage registrations and family conversation.

Recently, DonateLife TAS attended a media conference in support of Tasmania Police encouraging people to register for the games. 

The Schedule for the Games is available here.

(Left to right) Chris Thomas, Transplant Australia; Nicky Morrisby, Lung Recipient and her husband Detective Inspector Troy Morrisby; Andrew Turner, DonateLife TAS Medical Director; and Shannon McMahon, daughter of a transplant recipient.

Volunteer program launched at Agfest 

DonateLife TAS was able to onboard our first 3 official volunteers as part of our new volunteer program. Two of the 3 volunteers supported DonateLife TAS at Agfest in the North of the state. 

Agfest is a key event on the DonateLife TAS calendar, and this year was hugely popular with around 56,000 visitors over the 3 days. This was a fantastic opportunity for the team to have meaningful conversations with the public about DonateLife and the work that we do. 

It was also a great opportunity to connect (or reconnect) with a number of donor families and transplant recipients, many of whom are interested in being a part of DonateLife Week this year. Our very own Commonwealth Assistant Minister responsible for organ and tissue donation, the Hon Rebecca White MP, even made a special visit to our Agfest stand.

Tori Reynolds, Donation Specialist Nurse Coordinator at DonateLife TAS; and the Assistant Minister for Health, Ageing and Disability, the Hon Rebecca White MP, at Agfest

DonateLife Week 2026 planning and community engagement

We have begun re‑engaging volunteers in preparation for major events in 2026, including a DonateLife Week key activation in Bendigo. Further preparation for DonateLife Week has also involved confirming 13 case Victorian studies for national media pitching and developing a Victoria-specific DonateLife Week media plan.

We are also enhancing cross‑departmental collaboration by facilitating guest speakers and updating our educational and community-facing collateral. 

In between all this work, we found time to attend the VCE and Careers Expo to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation between Thursday 30 April and Tuesday 2 May.

(Left to right) Alyssia Innocent, Emma Pursey, and Grace Phillips from DonateLife Victoria at the VCE and Careers Expo

Donation activity

Victoria has experienced another solid start to 2026 in terms of actual and intended donors. From January through to the end of April, Victoria has had 50 actual donors and 31 intended, increasing 4% and 35% respectively from the same time last year.

Clinical metrics upstream of the donation process have remained strong and the Victorian consent rate sits at 52%, a slight improvement on the 2025 consent rate of 49.5%. 

In April, DonateLife Victoria released their annual year in review report. It tells the story of donation and transplantation in Victoria for 2025.

Key operational projects

Victoria continues the large-scale project of moving withdrawal of Cardio-Respiratory Supports from the ICU to theatre in those going down the Donation after Circulatory Determination of Death (DCDD) pathway. There has been significant planning and simulations undertaken to ensure this change process is as smooth as possible. In this reporting period, 3 health services have now participated in this practice with a number ready to go when the next DCDD case occurs.

DonateLife Victoria is also undergoing a project to develop a virtual AI Clinical Assistant for Donation Specialist Nurses. The assistant has been provided several important clinical documents, guidelines and operating procedures. It can provide timely and accurate information without nurses having to search these documents. The project is currently in a testing phase for the accuracy and precision of the information it is providing, with the aim to go live by the middle of the year.

DonateLife Week 2026 planning

Planning for DonateLife Week 2026 is shaping up brilliantly with a number of exciting initiatives already underway. This year will see a refreshed approach to WA’s key activation, including a new name to be announced soon. More than 30 monuments across the state have been secured to light up in magenta and Clinical Nurse Specialists are actively planning Grand Rounds across their hospital sites. With momentum continuing to build, DonateLife Week 2026 is set to be a big one.

Celebrating outstanding nursing achievements 

DonateLife WA are proud to recognise the outstanding achievements of our colleagues across recent award events.

Mary Lynch, Donation Specialist Coordinator, was presented the Excellence in Registered Nursing Award at the 2026 WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards. Mary was recognised for the outstanding care, compassion and dignity she consistently provides to bereaved families at life’s most difficult moments.

Mary Lynch, Donation Specialist Coordinator, receiving her Excellence in Registered Nursing Award	The DonateLife WA team at the WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards

Janelle McAllan, Clinical Nurse Specialist, took home the Excellence in Innovation Award at the Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Hospital Care Group Rotary Nurse of the Year Awards. This recognition reflects Janelle’s leadership in implementing the Donation after Circulatory Determination of Death (DCDD) project and withdrawal of cardiorespiratory support in theatre at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

A huge congratulations to both Mary and Janelle on these well-deserved achievements.

Janelle McAllan, Clinical Nurse Specialist, receiving her Excellence in Innovation Award	Janelle with fellow Nurse of the Year award winners

Community engagement update

DonateLife WA was proud to once again partner with Transplant WA (TAWA) for the 2026 Busselton 100. A huge thank you to TAWA for their generous support in providing DonateLife WA with complimentary team entries through their partnership with Triathlon WA. The Busselton 100 is always a fantastic opportunity to promote both TAWA and DLWA, while celebrating the strength and connection of our community. 

A special shoutout goes to DLWA athletes Penny Spicer, Nabeela Shihab and Andree Gould, who competed across the weekend. Congratulations on an outstanding effort and a brilliant performance from all involved.

Nabeela Shihab, Clinical Nurse Specialist; and Andree Gould, Clinical Nurse Educator, at the Busselton 100 finish line	Penny Spicer, Clinical Nurse Specialist (middle) with Busselton 100 team members and the DonateLife WA mascot

DonateLife WA also supported and attended the Lizzie Watkins Organ Donor Round, held in honour of Lizzie Watkins, whose legacy continues to save lives through organ donation.

Held every year since 2012 at the Troy Pickard Hockey Centre, the Lizzie Watkins Organ Donor Round is an entire round of hockey fixtures dedicated to raising awareness of organ and tissue donation. The event attracted a crowd of more than 750 people, reflecting the support from the hockey community and beyond.

North Coast Raiders and WASPS women’s hockey teams post-flagship game

RAC bstreetsmart provided another valuable opportunity for DonateLife WA to engage with young people, connecting with over 9,000 students and teachers. The event is held for students’ year 10-12, focusing on the consequences of risky driving behaviours and promoting safer decision-making. 

Linda Thomas, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Zoe Carr, Communications Officer, manning the stall at RAC bstreestmart

In April, Anna Saravanan joined the OTA as the new Chief Financial Officer. We warmly welcome her to the team.

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