DonateLife Victoria state medical director Dr Helen Opdam said if more people talked about organ donation the donor rate could improve. Picture: Mark Wilson.
NINE livers, two kidneys, six hearts and one set of lungs.
Each figure represents a young life and a family waiting for the potentially life-saving phone call. The children waiting for these organs are among 1563 patients across Australia waiting for transplants.
Yet only 2 per cent of people who die in hospital can donate their organs.
Organ donors need to die in hospital where their bodies can be kept on a ventilator until the organs can be harvested - and consent by the donors or their families must be given.
Last year, there were 337 deceased organ donors.Waiting lists are managed by transplant units in each state. When an organ becomes available for donation, a DonateLife donor co-ordinator passes the information to transplant units in that state. There are several criteria in matching organs and tissue and potential donation recipients.
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{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}
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