Dear DonateLife team,
It’s remarkable how quickly DonateLife Week (DLW) seems to go each year. Behind the scenes, an incredible amount of planning and coordination takes place across the DonateLife network to bring this important event to life. It’s a truly collaborative effort — and one that deserves heartfelt thanks and recognition.
In this edition of the DonateLife Network Update, we’ll share key highlights from the week including media coverage, some results of our evaluation, and a snapshot of the incredible events held across the country.
DLW kicked off at the Royal Hobart Hospital in Tasmania with the national media launch on Sunday 28 July. Our new Commonwealth Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, The Hon Rebecca White MP was hosted by DonateLife Tasmania and our National Medical Director, Associate Professor Helen Opdam, to launch DLW.
They were joined by Brooke Dillon, who had a kidney transplant, and Cuan Van Staden, who is on the waitlist for a kidney. Brooke shared how a kidney transplant has allowed her to plan out her life and travel, while Cuan remains hopeful that he’ll get the call soon. We’re incredibly grateful for Brooke and Cuan taking the time to attend and share their stories.
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From left to right: Associate Professor Helen Opdam, OTA National Medical Director; The Hon Rebecca White MP; Brooke Dillon and Cuan Van Staden | Cuan Van Staden and Brooke Dillon at the DLW launch event | From left to right: Cuan Van Staden, waitlist patient; Associate Professor Andrew Turner, DonateLife Tasmania State Medical Director; Brooke Dillon, kidney recipient; Susan Towns, DonateLife Tasmania Clinical Manager; The Hon Rebecca White MP, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care; Associate Professor Helen Opdam, OTA National Medical Director; Mr Joe McDonald, Chief Executive Hospitals South |
I took part in live interviews and attended a number of local events in Canberra during the week. A highlight was speaking at Merici College to commemorate 50 years since year 7 Merici student Annette Taylor became the ACT’s first organ donor. Her family was incredibly touched when ACT Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA, announced the ACT government will name a street in the suburb of Macnamara ‘Annette Street’ to honour her legacy. The event was very moving for all who attended.
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Lucinda Barry AM, CEO of the OTA speaks at the ACT event | From left to right: Janet Zagari, CEO Canberra Health Services; Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA, ACT Minister for Health; Nadia Burkolter, DonateLife ACT Agency Manager; Marjorie Taylor; Lucinda Barry AM, OTA CEO; Michael and Debbie Taylor | Debbie Taylor, wife of Annette’s brother Michael Taylor, speaks at the ACT event |
Leading up to DLW, I had the pleasure of welcoming DonateLife Specialist Nurses at their first Induction Nursing Day in Canberra. It is always a highlight to meet with the DonateLife nursing team.
At the end of June, I attended the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) Annual Scientific Meeting. I presented on the OTA's investment across donation and transplantation and the current state of the national program, including key donation and transplantation outcomes for 2024. I also shared the current reviews and opportunities if we work together with a spotlight on living donation.
Post-DLW, our half yearly Progress Report meetings with states and territories began in August. I also jumped head-first into committee meetings, priority projects and planning discussions for the rest of the year. It’s hard to believe it will be Christmas before we know it!
Warm wishes,
Lucinda
What's coming up
Calendar
Date | Activity |
Wednesday 22 October | Saffron Day |
Sunday 26 October | |
Saturday 15 November | TAS Service of Remembrance |
Sunday 16 November | |
| Saturday 22 November | VIC Service of Remembrance |
| Wednesday 3 to Saturday 6 December | International Society for Organ Donation Professionals (ISODP) Conference – Kyoto, Japan |
DonateLife Week
Australia came together in a powerful show of support for organ and tissue donation during DonateLife Week (DLW). This year’s public awareness event was far-reaching, with many stakeholders commenting that our messages were more visible than previous years.
While most Australians support donation, only 36% of the eligible population are registered. Our DLW strategy aims to bridge this gap – using national public relations and advertising activities to build widespread awareness, complemented by local community engagement activities.
This year, we achieved most of our strategy’s goals. While new registrations on the Australian Organ Donor Register were down this year (43,853 registrations, 16% less compared to 2024), DLW is about more than just registrations. It’s about starting life-saving conversations, raising awareness through powerful stories that inspire people to take action, and acknowledging the generosity of donors and their families who make transplantation possible.
Activating our supporters
DLW would not be possible without the support of hundreds of volunteers and supporters across the country. Volunteers help organise monument illuminations, onboard cafés and businesses, man registration stalls and share their stories with media outlets and on social media channels.
With their help, we engaged 532 cafés to support our ‘2 sips to register’ promotion, which is 7% more than 2024. There were also 130 illuminated monuments around Australia, which is 65% more than last year. Every state and territory ran a DLW activation event, with 15 in total.
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Baristas preparing coffee orders with DonateLife stickers at a busy café | The Carillon in Canberra lit up in magenta for DLW |
Increasing brand awareness
We use a YouGov pulse survey to regularly test our brand awareness with the Australian community. In August 2025, 39% of Australians say they have seen the DonateLife logo before when prompted (up 5% from June 2025).
Digital channels
Our social media channels help us share emotional stories, drive people to our website to register as donors, and enable us to collaborate with stakeholders to boost our messages to new audiences.
This year we shared 525 posts and stories, resulting in a total of 2.7 million views. We doubled our planned increase in social media followers (2,352 in June, July and August) and reached over 457,000 people through collaborative Instagram posts and reels. Our overall engagement rate (likes, shares, comments, clicks) was 7.31%, which far exceeded the industry standard of 1.46%.
There were 676,533 website views during DLW, which is a 74% increase on 2024. Of these, 341,010 views were of the ‘Register’ page.
Media and PR highlights
Through television, radio, print, and digital platforms, media outlets share powerful stories of transplant recipients, donor families and people on the waitlist. These stories help Australians understand the real-life impact of donation and inspire them to register.
We engaged 27 case studies as media spokespeople and pitched 60 stories to local media outlets. Together, these stories achieved 35.4 million in media reach, and an equivalent advertising value of $8.4 million.
During DLW we heard from Gill Klemich and Emma Stevens, who shared what it was like losing their teenage sons Jack and Charlie. They are now passionately advocating for re-instating registrations via drivers licences. We also heard from many grateful transplant recipients – such as 11-year-old Tilly from NSW who had a liver transplant when she was 5, and Natalie from Victoria, who received a kidney from her husband Jono.
Paid media through YouTube, Spotify, Nine, TikTok and publisher partnerships amplified our messages further. Highlights were 2 TikTok videos featuring heart recipient KC and Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Cranston who is waiting for a kidney transplant. The videos achieved a combined total of 447,000 6-second views, which is nearly double what was planned.
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The Advertiser front page highlights a heartfelt message from the mothers of Jack Klemich and Charlie Stevens to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation | 10 News+ segment featuring Jono and Nat |
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TikTok video highlighting KC’s story and encouraging organ and tissue donation to save lives |
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Video reply to a viewer’s comment about needing a kidney transplant, featuring Rocky in a gym setting sharing her story |
Partner activities
Community partner events and activities:
- PRONIA – 6 events in Victoria and Tasmania targeting the Greek community, reaching around 5,000 people.
- Charlton Neighbourhood House – awareness events held in the communities of Charlton, Birchip, Wycheproof, Sea Lake and Donald to raise awareness amongst rural audiences.
- YouX – raised awareness of organ and tissue donation amongst students at the University of Adelaide via O Week and Midwinter BBQ events.
- National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters’ Council – developed and distributed an audio explainer in 10 languages.
- Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media - developed and distributed 6 community service announcements and 2 short animations to over 100 First Nations community radio stations and 250 First Nations community organisations, media outlets, health services and peak bodies.
- Loft Social – developed a video content series featuring prominent DonateLife advocates and influencers.
- Newscorp – a variety of articles and advertising across Newscorp platforms.
- Western Bulldogs – featured the Whelan family, whose husband, dad and pop, Max, was an organ donor and a passionate Bulldogs fan in life. The family were finally able to meet Max’s heroes, including the Bont.
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Zac Williams at the Loft Social video shoot | NEMBC CALD project creating multilingual listening options and registration information for organ and tissue donation |
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Fans of the Western Bulldogs AFL team, including children and adults, proudly display their team spirit indoors with footballs and official merchandise |
State and Territory activities
DonateLife Week events
The ACT marked a significant moment in history this year – 50 years since 11-year-old Annette Taylor became the territory’s first organ donor in 1975. A heartfelt morning tea event marked the occasion at Merici College, where Annette was a student when she passed. Attendees included members of the Taylor Family, ACT Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith, donor families and transplant recipients, leadership teams from ACT schools, the CEO and staff from DonateLife and Canberra Health Services executives.
The morning was made more special with the ACT Minister for Health announcing a street in the new Canberra suburb of Macnamara has been named ‘Annette Street’. This is a lasting tribute honouring Annette Taylor and her incredible life-saving legacy.
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From left to right: Michael Taylor; Debbie Taylor; Marjorie Taylor; ACT Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith; and OTA CEO Lucinda Barry AM at the DLW ACT launch event, held at Merici College in Canberra |
The rest of the week was action-packed. It was filled with community engagement and awareness-raising activities, and our iconic lakeside monuments looked vibrant illuminated in magenta. Activities took place at:
- Canberra Raiders home game
- Netball ACT State League preliminary finals
- North Canberra Hospital
- CIT
- Erindale Pharmacy
- a week-long Cycling Challenge across the nation’s capital.
We received excellent media coverage through TV, radio, social media, newspaper and local magazines during the week.
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Synergy Cycling Group took to a week-long cycling challenge during DLW | The Captain Cook Memorial Jet was illuminated for DLW |
In NSW, the week began in Parramatta with ‘Seeds for Life’, a multicultural event that brought together 250 local residents, donor families, recipients, clinicians and volunteers. Together, they planted 1,800 saplings – one for every person on Australia’s organ waitlist. The event honoured donors and those still waiting, and created a striking visual for media, which included Channel 7 coverage.
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Seeds for Life saw 1,800 saplings planted to honour the 1,800 Australians waiting for a life-saving transplant |
NSW’s hero story featured 11-year-old Tilly, who had a liver transplant. The story was broadcast on Channel 9, and it became one of the top national television stories during DLW. Filmed in collaboration with NSW Police, the story showed how DonateLife and NSW Police work together on emergency medical transfers. The police recognised the critical role played by donor coordinators and Juliana Celber, Director of Nursing, provided a clinical voice for the story.
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Tilly’s story aired on Channel 9 during DLW - filmed in collaboration with NSW Police |
NSW had one of its biggest weeks in the media, with stories running across television, radio, print and digital outlets. Case studies reflected a wide mix of donation experiences, reaching metropolitan, regional and multicultural audiences. Alongside these stories, our clinical spokespeople contributed their donation expertise, providing trusted insight and context. This combination of lived experience and professional expertise gave DLW both reach and credibility.
The NSW team funded banners for every local health district with dedicated donation staff, giving hospitals and communities a visible way to mark the week. The banners became backdrops for local activity and storytelling, most memorably at Nepean Hospital where the Penrith Panthers turned up to show their support. Volunteers added even more energy, taking DLW beyond hospital grounds with a stall at a Cronulla Sharks game and by organising local fun runs that carried the message into the community.
The Northern Territory enjoyed a bright and busy DLW with banners around town, various lit-up monuments and radio advertising across 5 stations. The team was supported by 49 supporting organisations and 17 cafés signed up for the ‘Register in 2 Sips’ promotion.
The Theodore Kassaras Memorial Cup soccer game literally kicked off DLW in the Northern Territory. This year was extra special, with the Azzurri team securing a win in their jerseys with the DonateLife supporter logo. The NT launch event was on Tuesday 29 July, with a morning tea in the Royal Darwin Hospital. Other events were held throughout the week, including a stall at the Palmerston Library and a trivia event at The Breezes Bar and Bistro.
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Young players attending the Theodore Kassaras Memorial Cup soccer game the day before DLW kicked off |
The week ended on a high note at the Deckchair Cinema, with DonateLife hosting a fundraiser for Purple House with a special screening of ‘Gurrumul’.
The team was grateful to have Teresa Browne, a Larrakia woman, generously volunteer her time to deliver a heartfelt Welcome to Country. Food was catered by Yogi's Way, who kindly donated all profits from the evening to Purple House. DonateLife and Purple House both had stalls at the venue entrance and shared slides on the big screen to raise awareness about kidney donation and transplants. Around 400 people attended, making it a very successful evening.
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The DonateLife NT team hosting a stall at the Deckchair Cinema where the fundraiser was held for Purple House at the end of DLW | DonateLife Director Lee Wood, Purple House Social Support Coordinator Chloe Owen and Larrakia woman Teresa Browne at Deckchair Cinema where the fundraiser was held for Purple House at the end of DLW |
Queensland kicked off DLW with an outside radio broadcast on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. The local highway patrol even made a guest appearance and gave a live-to-air plug.
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DLW broadcast with 92.7 MIX FM in Sunshine Coast promoting organ and tissue donation | Surfer participating in DonateLife QLD community event with promotional booths and a prize wheel |
Celebrations continued at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) which marked 40 years since the first successful liver transplant was performed in Australia by Professor Russell Strong AC at the PAH. Eileen, Rhonda and Iichurou attended the event – Australia’s second-longest living single graft recipient, Australia’s first child transplant recipient and the world’s first living related liver recipient, respectively.
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Professor Russell Strong with Rhonda Natera marking 40 years since the first successful liver transplant at Princess Alexandra Hospital | Iichirou Tsuruyama, the world’s first living liver transplant recipient, poses with his wife at the Princess Alexandra Hospital |
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From left to right: Eileen McDougall, one of Australia’s longest living liver recipients who will soon mark 39 years since her transplant; Warwick Duncan, who is celebrating 36 years post-liver transplant; and Rhonda Natera, Australia’s first child liver recipient |
The Queensland team want to thank their volunteers, network staff and Hospital Health Service media teams for helping make DLW such a success. From getting cafés onboard with coffee stickers; to organising monument light-ups, paid advertising and attending community events; to pitching stories to local media outlets and organising internal communications – no task was too difficult for the team.
South Australia’s key activation happened to fall on one of Adelaide’s coldest and windiest days of the year – yet around 200 incredible supporters braved the weather to support DLW.
A very special thank you goes to South Australia’s volunteers and speakers:
- the Hon. Nat Cook MP
- Kelli Owen (member of the OTA Advisory Board) who gave the Welcome to Country
- Heather Makris and Oren Klemich who hosted
- recipient Hannah Tucker and donor family member Amanda Parslow, who both spoke with moving conviction about the importance of organ and tissue donation. Despite the near-gale winds, their words carried power and deep meaning.
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DonateLife supporters brave the cold and rain to walk for organ and tissue donation | A DonateLife supporter decked out in magenta supports the SA DLW event |
During the week, there was also a free yoga session for SA Health staff; the Midwinter BBQ for students hosted by community partner the University of Adelaide; and the second SA/NT Solid Organ Donation and Transplantation Educational Symposium.
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Oren Klemich, member of the OTA Advisory Board and a donor dad, speaks at the Midwinter BBQ | Students line up for free coffee at the Midwinter BBQ event |
South Australia would like to thank Gill Klemich and Emma Steven, who courageously spoke about losing their sons and the life-saving generosity of organ donation. Oren Klemich also tirelessly advocated across TV, radio, print, and directly with MPs throughout the week.
Following DLW, the South Australian team has seen a strong uptick in the number of people interested in volunteering and sharing personal stories. They’ve also been invited to speak to a growing number of schools and community events – opportunities they can only deliver thanks to the dedication of wonderful volunteers.
Tasmania focused on storytelling to raise awareness, starting with the national launch of DLW at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Our 2 fabulous case studies, Brooke Dillon and Cuan Van Staden, were our media spokespeople. There were around 35 media outcomes across TV, print and radio in Tasmania, including round 19 radio outcomes from the launch media and other separate interviews over the week.
Across the state there was a wave of magenta during DLW. There were 11 different monuments illuminated across the state, billboards and bus back advertising displayed across all major centres and airports, and banners across the Hobart CBD.
Almost 50 cafés across the state took part in the ‘Register in 2 sips’ promotion. Each major hospital took part in promoting DLW through their clinical champions and staff. Staff members were also able to deliver some presentations in workplaces.
The team connected with the broader community through a key activation in partnership with the donor family organisation, Archies 100. The Archies 100 Stair Climb for DonateLife event saw 10 teams of emergency service workers climb the stairs of the tower at Wrest Point Casino a total of 100 times collectively. We also supported a Family Fun Day event as part of the day, with a lot of great conversations about organ and tissue donation.
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Left to right: Natalie Bown (Heart Recipient), Caroline Hyland (Royal Hobart Hospital Clinical Champion) and Michelle Edwards (Royal Hobart Hospital Clinical Champion volunteering at the Archies 100 Climb for DonateLife | The DonateLife TAS Team look up at the Wrest Point Casino Tower they have climbed as part of Archies 100 Stair Climb for DonateLife |
DLW in Victoria was a monumental success. Leading up to the week, a photography exhibition by renowned photojournalist and double transplant recipient Andrew Chapman OAM helped build community groundswell. Daisy Chain: the gift of organ donation explored one couple’s journey through living organ donation and transplantation surgery. It launched on Sunday 20 July, with solid attendance over the fortnight and significant spin-off media coverage, to kick-off DLW in Victoria.
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Lifeblood CEO Stephen Cornelissen chatting with General Manager Tony Holland and Quality and Operations Manager Matt Ellis at the DLW Daisy Chain photo exhibition | DLW Daisy Chain photography exhibition organisers Phoebe Reid (left) + Liz Sonntag (right) |
The community got behind the week, with volunteers putting in over a hundred hours to help distribute goodies such as over 100,000 stickers for cafés. DLW was everywhere, extending across the state with 15 bus-back advertisements via Go Transit, a full 7-day takeover of the Bendigo Advertiser’s digital, Spotify and streaming TV ads, visibility in 150 Convenience advertising locations statewide, and 15 monuments illuminated.
It was also a huge media effort, with 28 personal stories shared through the media and more than 50 stories appearing in newspapers and online. This was on top of 20 radio interviews, 4 TV news interviews and 4 podcast recordings.
A big thank you to Dr Rohit D’Costa, Dr Sam Radford, Bridget Walters, Mel Short, Danielle Dobie, Jerome Hamoline, and Nina Seng for giving their time and support in media interviews.
This year, Western Australia marks 25 years of helping save and improve lives through organ and tissue donation. Thanks to the commitment of healthcare workers, community groups, volunteers and families who’ve said yes to donation, thousands of people have received a second chance at life. A special afternoon tea marked the occasion.
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Left to right: Andree Gould, Clinical Nurse Educator; Melissa Smith, Clinical Nurse Manager; Linda Thomas, Clinical Nurse Specialist; and Mary Lynch, Donation Specialist Coordinator, cutting the celebratory 25 Years of DLWA cake |
DLW in Western Australia began with the third annual Gift of Life Walk at Galup Reserve. Dr David Blythe, WA State Medical Director, opened the event, followed by a Welcome to Country and a speech from WA Health Minister, Hon Meredith Hammat MLA. Sue Thompson shared her powerful story, marking 40 years since her transplant. Despite the rain, more than 250 people walked around Lake Galup. Media outlets Channel 7, Channel 9 and The West Australian helped share the message.
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The Hon Meredith Hammat MLA, WA Minister for Health with participants at the Gift of Life Walk at Galup Reserve | Clinical Nurse Specialists Kat Helmis and Janelle McAllan with their daughters at the Gift of Life Walk |
Throughout the week, landmarks across the state lit up in magenta to raise awareness. QR code stickers appeared in local cafés, helping spread the word. Transplant Australia joined in at Muzz Buzz in Malaga, placing stickers on coffee cups and chatting with customers.
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Wendy (right) and Jane (left) from Transplant WA at the Muzz Buzz Malaga activation |
Dr David Blythe spoke to media across the state, including 9 News Perth, 7 News Regional WA and 6PR. A documentary screening of ‘Everywhere’—created by the Periscope Crew, young filmmakers living with disabilities—was held at the Harry Perkins Institute. Clinical Nurse Specialists Janelle McAllan and Kat Helmis hosted the event. Rockingham General Hospital, Armadale Health Service and Perth Children’s Hospital also held Grand Rounds to support the week.
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Clinical Nurse Specialists Kat Helmis and Janelle McAllan with The Periscope Crew at the ‘Everywhere’ Screening held at the Harry Perkins Institute | Grand Round held at Perth Children’s Hospital, facilitated by Clinical Nurse Specialist Linda Thomas and Dr Mairead Heaney, Donation Medical Consultant with guest speaker Dr Adam Philipoff, Consultant Transplant Surgeon | State Medical Director, Dr David Blythe live in studio at 9 News Perth |
Network news
ACT
One year since the opening of Canberra Hospital’s Critical Services Building, the state-of-the-art facility has made a significant impact—treating over 100,000 patients in the Emergency Department and facilitating more than 6,500 transfers to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
DonateLife ACT’s Donor Specialist Nursing Coordinators (DSNCs), embedded within the ICU, have become increasingly visible and integral to end-of-life care discussions. Their presence has strengthened collaboration with ICU clinicians and deepened trust across the unit.
This revitalised partnership was evident in the recent recruitment round for trainee DSNCs, which attracted a highly competitive field. Congratulations and a warm welcome to Andrea, whose appointment reflects the enthusiasm of senior nursing staff eager to join what many describe as a truly fabulous team. You can read more about Andrea’s background in the staff updates below.
The ACT team progressed other community engagement activities, including:
- presenting to the Rotary Club
- Wanniassa Probus and Council on the Ageing
- education sessions to the Renal Outpatients Department at Canberra Hospital
- information stalls at 2 junior rugby league club home games
- attending the ACT CareersXpo, attracting 9,500 students.
NSW
Congratulations to Shevaun Walker and Kelly Laws, Donation Specialist Nurses and Clinical Nurse Consultants from NSW. They were awarded first prize in the Westmead Quality Awards in the category, ‘Excellence in staff empowerment and growth’.
The award was given in recognition of their project, ‘HOPE: a quality initiative to honour organ donors and empower teams for better outcomes’. The HOPE project enhances organ and tissue donation outcomes by equipping staff with 2 practical tools:
- a bedside guide that reinforces consistent, high-quality donor care
- a Donation after Circulatory Determination of Death (DCDD) checklist that supports teams through the more complex circulatory death pathway.
Together, these resources standardise care, improve staff confidence, and ensure dignity for patients and families—delivering measurable results and driving wider adoption across NSW.
Well done Shevaun and Kelly on this outstanding achievement.
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From left to right: Dr Hatem Elkady (ICU Staff Specialist and Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Westmead Hospital), Shevaun Walker and Kelly Laws (Donation Specialist Nurses / Clinical Nurse Consultants, Organ and Tissue Donation), and Lisa Wright (Acting Director Quality and Safety, Westmead Hospital) | The first prize award in the Westmead Quality Awards for ‘Excellence in staff empowerment and growth’ |
QLD
Volunteers attended the 3-day Brisbane Careers Expo in June and 3 university orientation week events in July to chat to the community about organ and tissue donation.
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Non-stop engagement with students, teachers, parents and job seekers at the Brisbane Careers Expo. Over the 3 days, 14 volunteers helped at our DonateLife stall | Donation Specialist Nurses Freya and Lorraine with Community Champions Ned and Mark at Griffith Uni Nathan campus for O Week. Ned’s dad is a 3x kidney recipient and his mum is a live kidney donor. Mark’s dad was on dialysis for 14 years |
In May, the Gladstone Ports Corporation unveiled a large magenta crane which had been painted and branded in DonateLife colours in memory of Tracey, the late wife of employee Greg. During her life, Tracey shared her journey as a double lung recipient and expressed deep gratitude to her donor and their family.
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Greg and his family with ‘Tracey’ the Crane, unveiled at a dedication from Gladstone Ports Corporation |
Sunshine Coast Lightning proudly teamed up with DonateLife staff and volunteers to celebrate the final year of our 4-year partnership. Donor families and recipients shared their stories with their athletes, helped with the guard of honour, ball delivery and coin toss.
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Our team of volunteers and staff celebrating the final netball game as part of the Sunshine Coast Lightning and DonateLife partnership |
In June, there were 10 Services of Remembrances held across Brisbane and regional areas, bringing together donor families and recipients for a day of gratitude and reflection.
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Lighting a candle for loved ones at the Gold Coast Service of Remembrance. Left to right: liver recipient Alec, lungs recipient Anita, donor dad Dave and Chelsea, mum to young liver recipient Harrison |
In June, the DonateLife team in Townsville were awarded the prestigious Minister’s Choice Award in the 2025 Townsville Hospital Health Service staff awards. Congratulations to the entire team on such well-deserved recognition.
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From left to right: Townsville Donation Medical Specialist Dr Stephen Whebell; Donation Specialist Nurse Coordinators Meagan Baldwin and Eryn Chatfield; and Nurse Unit Manager Amanda Krauklis who nominated them for the Minister’s Choice Award |
NT
NAIDOC Week celebrations were spectacular this year in the Top End. In addition to hosting a stall, 2 DonateLife team members spoke on First Nations TEABBA radio about the importance of discussing organ and tissue donation with family and registering as organ and tissue donors.
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Clinical Nurse Manager Leigh Hill and Donation Specialist Nurse Felicity Clyne at the NAIDOC Week celebration at the Royal Darwin Hospital |
In addition to events at the Royal Darwin Hospital and Palmerston Hospitals, some team members also attended the NAIDOC Week march through the centre of Darwin City. This year marked the 50-year NAIDOC Week anniversary – more than 8,000 people attended the march.
The NT Clinical Champions Program launched at Royal Darwin Hospital in late June 2025. Participants include nursing staff from ICU, ED, Operating Theatres and Anaesthetics, staff from social work, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, and hospital chaplains.
VIC
Congratulations to Mel Short, who won the biannual DonateLife Victoria Good to Great Award. She was recognised for initiating a project to investigate the utilisation and allocation of kidneys from donors under 10kg and improve donor and recipient outcomes. She was recently awarded the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Nursing Development Scholarship from the Royal Children’s Hospital to complete this exciting project.
Following the first metro retrieval from a donor after their Voluntary Assisted Death (VAD) at Monash Health in July, Family Communication Nursing Coordinator Jess Amsden has worked to expand donation after VAD across other metro health services. Preparations are underway for a second donation after VAD at Northern Health.
OTA updates:
Clinical
Changes to the OrganMatch and urgent listings process
From 11:00 am AEST, Monday 22 September 2025, a significant enhancement was implemented to the urgent listing process for transplant recipients across Australia and New Zealand.
Transplant clinicians are now able to list urgent patients directly through OrganMatch, enabling real-time sharing of these listings with the broader donation and transplant sector. This change is designed to streamline workflows, improve clinical safety, and support best practice in urgent transplant scenarios.
Importantly, donation staff have direct access to view all urgently listed patients via their Donation Portal, ensuring greater transparency and coordination across the system.
Please note that this update does not affect recipient eligibility criteria or the organ offering process. The change is only to the location and method of listing urgent patients.
This development reflects collaborative efforts among OrganMatch User Groups, DonateLife agencies, TSANZ, LifeBlood, and the Organ and Tissue Authority.
You can access updated standard operating procedures at National SOP: Organ Allocation Organ Rotation Urgent Listing. A Donation Portal urgent listing training video is also available at Urgent Listing Donation Portal.
A big thank you to everyone who has helped support the development of this enhancement.
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OrganMatch - Australia's world-class clinical transplant system, streamlining donor-recipient compatibility for life-saving organ transplants |
2025 Donation and Transplantation Conference and Community Forum videos now available
Video recordings of presentations from the 2025 Donation and Transplantation Conference and Community Forum are now available on the DonateLife Learning site – look under the ‘DonateLife Network Resources’ tab.
Please speak with your agency’s Education Coordinator or manager if you have any questions about accessing the site.
Staff updates
OTA
The OTA bid a very sad farewell to our Chief Operating Officer (COO), Belinda Small, in July. Belinda had been with the OTA since 2021 and provided invaluable leadership for the OTA’s corporate functions, such as finance, risk, governance and human resources. We wished her well on her new journey at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, where she will no doubt shine just as bright.
The OTA welcomed our new COO, Beci Imbriano, this month. Beci joins us from another small portfolio Agency, the National Health Funding Body, where she had been acting in the role of their deputy CEO since last year. We’re very glad to have her as part of our leadership team.
The OTA also farewelled Justine Blunden, Executive Assistant to the OTA CEO, who aims to spend more time with family and to take part in further study. We bid a warm welcome to Kate Porter-Smith, who took on the role of Lucinda’s Executive Assistant role on Monday 29 September.
Agencies
ACT
In early July, DonateLife ACT warmly welcomed Andrea Willson to the nursing team. Andrea brings 30 years of nursing experience, with over 2 decades in Emergency Nursing.
Since beginning her career in Sydney in 1995, Andrea has developed a deep understanding of patient care across diverse clinical settings and situations. Her expertise and fresh perspective are a great addition to the team, strengthening our shared commitment to excellence in organ and tissue donation. Outside work, she enjoys being outdoors, staying active, and spending time with her family and friends.
QLD
Jessica Matthies started her role as Donation Specialist Coordinator at Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) in Brisbane, having moved from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital as Donation Specialist Nurse.
Queensland Children’s Hospital Donation Specialist Nurse Shontelle Thomas returned from long-service leave, and we thank Sara Willmore for covering Shontelle’s role while she was on leave.
Donation Specialist Coordinator Shaun Johnston returned to the PAH from a secondment in August.
Gold Coast University Hospital Donation Specialist Nurse Coordinator Emma Burchall returned from maternity leave in July, after welcoming Jack into their family in May.
Congratulations to Donation Specialist Coordinator Prue Groves and her family as they welcomed baby Louie in late July.
TAS
In July, Matt Spotswood, Donation Specialist Medical, left the DonateLife Tasmania team to pursue other professional opportunities. Thank you to Matt for your contribution to the DonateLife team – it was a privilege to work alongside you. We wish Matt and his family all the best for their next adventures.
WA
We are pleased to welcome 2 new Donation Specialist Coordinators to the team.
Dresden Moffet joins us from Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital Intensive Care Unit, bringing a broad range of critical care experience with her. Outside of work she enjoys going to the beach and heading down south for weekends away.
Beth Albonico brings 9 years’ experience from ICU, ED and HDUs across Perth Metropolitan and Regional WA. She was previously a Clinical Nurse Specialist for Critical Care Services at Albany Hospital. In her spare time, she is a competitive body builder and just competed over east at 4 National level Competitions.
We also welcomed Cassia Durant to the team, filling the role of Administration Officer whilst Sally Klifunis is on secondment. Cassia has hit the ground running and seamlessly stepped into the role. We are excited to have her expertise on board.
NT
We're pleased to welcome 2 new Donation Specialist Nurses, including Alexandra (Alex) Hinchcliff, an experienced ICU nurse who continues to work at Menzies School of Health and Research in a part-time capacity.
Nadine Tinsley, our second new starter, has come from the Top End Renal team, and has a wealth of knowledge in kidney health. Nadine has worked extensively with dialysis patients as well as kidney transplant patients, and has also previously volunteered for DonateLife.
Recently, Donation Specialist Nurse Alison (Ali) Watters left the DonateLife team. We wish her well in her career.
VIC
Nerissa Collie went on parental leave and we welcomed Lingam Ponnampalam to cover her role.
Patty van Pinxteren commenced as Donation Specialist Nurse (DSN) at Barwon Health
Bridget Walters commenced as the new Regional Engagement Coordinator and Clare Healy started in the new Research Nurse Coordinator role.
We welcomed back DSNs Anna McNamara and Mikaela Henry to the team. Our latest trainee DSNs Arryn Garven, Jen Plummer, Chelsea Harris and Maeve Hamilton finished their Phase 1 (face-to-face theory) training.
Louise Livsey was appointed to the pilot Donation Conversation Specialist role.
SA
We welcomed Kelly Martin, Family Support Coordinator; Angely Bolzon, Education Coordinator; Jess Ware, State-wide End of Life Services; Samuel Galbraith, Donation Specialist Nursing Coordinator (DSNC); and Samantha Vuglar, DSNC. Each of our new colleagues brings valuable experience and fresh enthusiasm to our shared work, and we are so grateful to have them on board as our team continues to evolve and grow.
We’d also like to extend our thanks to Amanda Stewart for generously making herself available as the primary point of contact for leadership enquiries as we work towards rounding out the year.
We sadly farewelled Rebekka Ambroz, Communications and Community Engagement Officer and welcomed back Camila Lumsden to the team on Monday 29 September.
Do you have news or feedback to share?
We’d love to hear your feedback about the DonateLife Network Update. Please let us know your thoughts and what content you would find useful for future editions by emailing the OTA communications team: communications@donatelife.gov.au.
If you have an update to share, contact your state or territory communications rep or email the OTA communications team: communications@donatelife.gov.au.
These updates are distributed to DonateLife staff across Australia, via the contact details within the DonateLife Learning Site. To update this distribution list, please speak to the education coordinator in your jurisdiction. We thank you for not sharing this update with anyone outside of the network.
