The Transit Lounge – A gift worth giving

The Transit Lounge – Amy Goodhew

Last year in Australia 812 people donated their kidneys. This year 1,298 people are on the waiting list for kidneys. That’s 486 people who spend every day waiting and hoping and praying that a kidney may become available, but never receive the call. Clearly, it’s time Australia had a conversation about organ donation.

Oddly enough, while 90 per cent of people in Australia are supportive of organ donation we still don’t have enough donors to save the people who need them.

The PM, Kevin Rudd, agrees. Mr Rudd recently announced that he and his family were signing up as the first family of organ donors at DonateLife–the new coordinated, national scheme to address the issue.

One of the biggest issues with organ donation is that while many people may think it’s a great idea, they don’t actually say so out loud. Therefore, when the unthinkable happens, families aren’t aware of the wishes of their loved ones and organs does not proceed.

DonateLife is aiming to change all that, encouraging families this Christmas to have a discussion about their wishes. Registering to be an organ and tissue donor is not enough. Even if you register your wish to be a donor, your family will still be asked to give consent.

So if you’re interested, there is a potentially tricky conversation ahead of you.

Kerry McKay, Communications Manager for DonateLife says, “The decision-making process surrounding organ donation requires that we confront our own mortality. That can be a difficult process but, for many people, organ donation is an opportunity to give new hope to seriously ill Australians.”

“When we die, our organs may be the difference between life and death for sick or injured people.”

Heather Crawford never considered that she we need organ donation to stay alive but when her health rapidly deteriorated due to Eisenmenger’s Syndrome (a rare condition caused by the combination of a hole in the heart and pulmonary hypertension) she found herself waiting for a double lung transplant.

Five months spent on the waiting list ended in a phone call the 24 year old will never forget.

“I really believe there should be a benefit to a negative situation, almost like a last good deed,” says Heather. “When you are gone what will you do with your organs? If you have the opportunity for someone to benefit from them, then why not do it?”

But it’s not a simple decision. After all, no one knows what happens to a body after death, although there are a variety of beliefs about it. Which is where religion comes into play in this issue. While the majority of Christian denominations (including the Uniting Church) encourage organ donation as an act of charity, other religions have strict beliefs around the relationship between body and soul.

For example, in Shinto the dead body is considered to be impure and dangerous, and thus quite powerful. It’s difficult to obtain consent from bereaved families for organ donation as it can be seen as causing an injury to the dead body.

Romani people believe that for one year after a person dies, the soul retraces its steps. All of the parts of the body must be intact because the soul maintains a physical shape.

These beliefs are important considerations in what is a complex debate. And why not debate it over the Christmas turkey? Kerry McKay says Christmas is the perfect time to talk about your wishes.

“Christmas is a time for families and a time for giving; a great time for discussing wishes about organ donation,” she says.

“Organ donation is the gift that saves lives and it requires so little effort. Just register and discuss organ donation with your family. New Year is also a nice time to consider donation and makes a wonderful start to your year.”

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