Read our story in this month’s issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, p.151, about little Emily, the little girl who got a second chance at life, thanks to an anonymous donor. This week marks the launch of the David Hookes Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness about organ donation. Below are some facts you may not know about becoming an organ donor, and how your decision could save somebody’s life. To register as an organ donor, call the Australian Organ Donor Register on 1800 777 203, or www.davidhookesfoundation.com.au As at January 31, 2004, there were 4,719,488 people on the Australian Donor Register. The national register was established in 2000 by the federal government to pull together the data held through state drivers’ licences. Only authorised medical personal can access this list. As at January 2, 2004, there were 1824 people awaiting a transplant. The breakdown is as follows: Kidney: 1488 Heart: 65 Liver: 110 Lung: 124 Pancreas: 29 Pancreas islets: 8 One in six of those on the waiting lists will die before an organ becomes available. There are others who never even make it onto the lists. It is common to wait up to four years for a kidney transplant, two years for a heart transplant and 1.5 years for a liver transplant. In 2003, 624 people were removed from the waiting lists thanks to 179 donors; 74 people died while waiting for a transplant. In 2002 there were 730 organ transplants from 206 donors but in the same year, 107 people died while waiting. One organ donor can save the life or dramatically improve the life of up to 10 people. You are never too old or too young to donate – for example, an 85 year old donated their kidneys to two recipients and Australia’s youngest donor was a new born baby who died of abnormal brain function and donated a liver to save the life of a one-year-old child. Children aged under 12 who want to register as a donor have to have their registration to donate authorised by a parent or guardian. Organ and tissue donation are medically possible only after brain death, which is in only one per cent of deaths. This occurs in a hospital with the body on a ventilator. There are strict laws governing what brain death means and death has to be certified by two independent doctors. Medical tests clearly show the difference between brain death and a coma. The body is kept on a ventilator to keep the organs healthy while the family is consulted. After organ donation, the body is sutured as carefully as if the person was still alive. Current legislation is state/territory based, covered by Human Tissue Acts. In essence, they state that a person can choose to be a donor and organ donation can proceed unless the wish is reversed or unless the family does not consent. If the deceased’s wishes are not apparent, consent for organ donation rests with the next of kin. While 96 per cent of Australians are supportive of organ donation, only 54 per cent of people who died of brain death become donors because in 46 per cent of cases, the family refuses to consent. That is why it is as important to tell your family of your wishes as it is to register as a donor. Different laws govern organ donation around the world. Some countries, like Spain, Austria, Belgium and France, have the opt-out system (also known as presumed consent) where everyone is considered a donor unless they make it known they do not want to be. In most countries with the opt-out system, family consent is also sought. In Austria, a person who refuses to be a donor who requires a transplant is automatically placed at the end of the waiting list. Spain has the highest rate of organ donors at 3.9 donors per 1000 deaths. The success is attributed not only to its opt-out system but its successful network of transplant corordinators in 139 intensive care units coordinated by a central agency (ONT) in Madrid. The coordinators identify potential donors by closely monitoring emergency departments and tactfully discussing the donation process with families of the deceased. Australia’s rate of organ donors per 1000 deaths is 1.5 and has remained static for a number of years. It lags behind Spain, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, France and the USA but ahead of Italy, the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and New Zealand.
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