Bendigo Health encourages everyone to Discover the facts about organ and tissue donation, Decide if they would like to become an organ or tissue donor and Discuss their decision with their family and friends.
For further information contact Bendigo Health's senior nurse of organ and tissue donation on (03) 5454 7032, or email dhurrell@bendigohealth.org.au.
Discover
There are many false ideas about organ and tissue donation. Bendigo Health encourages you to find out the facts for yourself.
The following links will take you to fact sheets produced by DonateLife, the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority. Their website www.donatelife.gov.au has a lot of information about organ and tissue donation and stories of people who have received organ and tissue transplants.
Decide
Once you have discovered the facts about organ donation, it’s time to make a decision. You may wish to donate all, some or none of your organs and tissues. Whatever your decision, it’s a good idea to have a written record of what you have decided.
Australia now has one national register for organ donation run through Medicare that has replaced all previous systems. This makes it easier to see if someone is a registered organ and tissue donor. If you change your name, address or other details with Medicare, your organ donor details are automatically updated.
When you register on the Australian Organ Donor Registry, you need to fill out a form which means you have given your legal consent to donate your organs and tissues. When you send in this form, Medicare will send you a card.
This card and your legal consent means that after everything possible has been done to save your life, the health professionals caring for you will then work to make sure your decision regarding organ and tissue donation is honoured.
To register or change your registration details you can:
You can also check your registration by calling 1800 777 203.
Discuss
The last step is very important. Organ donation can only happen after your death, so you may not be able to tell someone about your decision directly when the time comes. Instead, the health professionals caring for you will speak to your family to try to determine what your wishes were. Unfortunately, where families do not know what their loved ones wanted, they often decide not to donate organs or tissues, which means that your wishes may not be honoured.
Discussing donating organs or tissues with family and friends doesn’t have to be hard. Try starting the conversation by saying something like, 'I’ve decided to do something to help other people' or 'I hope this will never happen, but if I was to die, I would like to donate my organs.' Then you could talk about what you have learned and how you have made your decision. You might learn more about your family and friends too.
For more ideas check out the following fact sheets:
Organ and tissue donation at Bendigo Health
Bendigo Health is committed to making sure everyone who wishes to and is able to donate their organs is given that opportunity. Bendigo Health has appointed a senior nurse of organ and tissue donation to promote, support and monitor organ donation at Bendigo Health. The nurse is working with all Bendigo Health employees to make sure that every person who could be an organ or tissue donor is given the opportunity to do so. The nurse is also working with the community to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation.
The nurse is available to provide community education to any community group that would like to know more about organ and tissue donation.
Please call (03) 5454 7032 or email dhurrell@bendigohealth.org.au to find out more or to arrange a session.
Your wish can save a life. But only if you tell someone.
Make sure you and your loved ones discuss your wish to be an organ donor.
Approximately 1700 Australians waiting for donor organs wish you would.