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• In 2007, Australian transplant patients received help from a total of 19 Organ Donors and 40 Tissue Donors from Western Australia.
  
  

• There are more patients waiting for transplants than there are donors and thus the need to increase organ and tissue donation rates

• Organ and tissue donation is an important issue that affects the community as a whole.
  
  
• Organs that can be donated are the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and pancreas.
  
  
• Tissues that can be donated are the corneas, bone and heart valves.

To register as an organ and tissue donor, call 1800 777 203, visit www.medicareaustralia.gov.au or visit your local Medicare office.

What is the Australian Organ Donor Register?

The Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR) was established in 2000 as a confidential list of all Australians who have registered as organ and tissue donors. The AODR is managed by Medicare Australia. As at May 2008 there are approximatley 650,000 Western Australian registered donors.

Are there age restrictions for registering as an organ donor?

If you’re aged 18 years or over, you can register your consent to donate your organs or tissue on the AODR. Equally, you can registration your objection. If you’re aged between 16 and 17 years, you can register your intention to donate on the AODR. People or individuals under 18 years can still become donors if a family member gives their consent.

What is organ and tissue donation?

Organ and tissue donation is a medical process whereby specific organs and tissues are removed from the body of a deceased donor and transplanted into someone else, in order to save or improve the recipient’s life. Yet, it is much more than simply a medical procedure. It is a profoundly generous act on the part of an individual or family, which can transform the lives of people suffering debilitating or terminal illnesses. Anecdotally, we know families often feel empowered by the chance to fulfil the wishes of their loved one at a time of deep tragedy and personal loss.

Yes, its all a bit serious but what if it was a member of your family or your best mate who needed… to live...

To learn more about DonateWest - Western Australian Agency for Organ and Tissue Donation please visit www.donatewest.health.wa.gov.au

This is a community service announcement and is not a paid commercial.