Monday, 5 August 2019

Young people in Eastern Victoria  are being urged to talk about organ and tissue donation with their loved ones.

To mark DonateLife Week, Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing MP today called on young people to join the Australian Organ Donor Register, as they were the least likely to be registered or have spoken to their family about their wishes.

DonateLife Week, which continues until Sunday 4 August, is a national annual awareness campaign that encourages more discussion about organ and tissue donation. We know young people are very supportive of organ donation, but just haven’t taken the steps to sign up.

New research shows 88 per cent of young people aged 18-25 were aware they could be an organ donor, but just 14 per cent reported having signed up.

The actual number of young people registered is even less. The Australian Organ Donor Register shows just 8.1 per cent of people aged 16-25 are currently on the register. There are currently more than 1.04 million Victorians on the register.

Last year in Victoria, a record 193 donors and their families made the selfless decision to donate organs – saving the lives of 529 people. This compared to 148 donors in 2017, when 387 received a life-saving transplant.

Victoria continues to be the most generous state, making up nearly a third of donations. At the start of DonateLife Week, 235 lives had been saved – thanks to the generosity of 90 deceased Victorian organ donors and their families.

There are currently 1551 Australians waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

To register to be an organ and tissue donor, or for more information, visit donatelife.gov.au. It takes less than a minute to sign up – all you need is your Medicare card.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing

“Organ donation is an incredibly rare and very special gift. It can save lives and help others to lead healthier lives.  Victorians are the most generous in the country when it comes to donating their organs.”

 “It’s so important that Victorians not only register to be organ and tissue donors, but that they tell their family of their wishes so that donations can proceed.”

 “I encourage more young people to register to be an organ and tissue donor, and to have this really important conversation with your loved ones so they know your desire to help others.”