Week about giving a lifesaving gift

BRIAN Rowe enjoys his rural life in Smeaton, doing work around the farm, and getting involved with his local football-netball club, CFA and Landcare groups.

But in 1995, his kidneys failed due to disease, and these activities weren’t so accessible.

“I home dialysed for nearly four years, but in November 1998, I got the call to go to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and they had a kidney for me,” he said.

Now 71 years old, Mr Rowe has been strong and healthy ever since he received an organ from a mystery donor.

“My kidney came from a deceased person, and saved me from being stuck on a machine having to dialyse three times a week for four hours,” he said. “It’s certainly changed my life”.

Through DonateLife Victoria, Mr Rowe has an ongoing connection with Ballarat Health Services’ nurse donation specialist Larna Woodyatt.

Together they participate in activities to encourage community members to sign up to the organ and tissue donation register, especially during DonateLife Week, which is now on until Sunday, 31 July.

“We want people to register, and make sure they let their next of kin know that it’s their desire to donate their organs or tissue parts. A lot of it is lifesaving,” Mr Rowe said.

Ms Woodyatt said DonateLife Week is the ideal catalyst to think about organ and tissue donation, and for people to talk to their loved ones.

“We encourage them to join the register so that their wishes in regard to donation are there to be shared with their families if the need ever arose,” she said.

“We know nine out of ten families will uphold the consent of their loved ones if they’re aware of their decision, but this drops to four out of 10 when families don’t know what their loved ones would want.

“Registering makes such a difference.”

DonateLife saw a nine per cent decrease in the number of people able to become organ donors due to the pandemic in 2021, which meant a seven per cent decrease in the amount of people receiving transplants.

A person’s age, their health, and background does not affect their ability to be an organ donor. Visit donatelife.gov.au to register within one minute.