This week—27 July to 3 August—is DonateLife Week, Australia’s national campaign to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation. The goal is simple but urgent: get more people to take just one minute to register as a donor at donatelife.gov.au.
Eighty percent of Australians support organ and tissue donation, yet only 36 percent are actually registered. That gap matters more than most realise, especially to the 1,800 people across the country currently waiting for a transplant.
I’m one of them.
Due to a genetic condition, I’m now living with end-stage liver disease. My name is on the transplant list. I spend each day managing a complicated routine of medications, side effects, and appointments—all while waiting for a call that could quite literally change everything. I share this not for sympathy, but to show that people like me exist within a system that works—if enough people say yes.
One donor can save up to seven lives and help many more through eye and tissue donation. But only about 2 percent of people who die in hospital pass in a way that makes donation possible. That means every opportunity counts.
In 2024, 527 deceased organ donors gave 1,328 Australians a second chance at life. That’s encouraging—but it’s still not enough. Around 50 people die every year while waiting for a transplant. Behind each number is someone with a family, a story, and unfinished plans. Someone hoping.
And here’s something many Australians don’t know: registering on your licence is no longer enough. Unless you’ve signed up on the Australian Organ Donor Register through the DonateLife website or your Medicare account, you’re likely not counted. Just as important is talking to your family. When your wishes are known, consent rates rise from 40 to over 80 percent.
It takes less than a minute. No cost. No downside. No obligation for your family if you don’t die in a way that allows for donation. But if you do, and your organs are suitable, your registration can mean the world—seven times over.
This week, amid everything else competing for our attention, take one small but powerful action. Go to donatelife.gov.au, register as an organ and tissue donor, and then tell your family your decision.
It might be a minute out of your day, but it could mean a lifetime for someone else.
