During DonateLife Week last week, Australians were urged to give hope to those whose lives depend on an organ transplant by joining the Australian Organ Donor Register online and letting family members know your wishes to be a donor. This year’s them was Donate Strength. Donate Adventure. Donate Love. Donate Life. “Organ and tissue donation gives recipients a second chance at life, so if you’ve decided to become a donor, it’s important to register your wish and let people know,” Dr Mike Lindley-Jones, Donation Medical Specialist NNSWLHD said. A prominent bus advertising campaign kicked off to encourage people in Northern NSW to take that important step of registering their decision on the Australian Organ Donation Register. “Registration has a direct influence on consent rates, with nine in ten families saying yes to donation when their loved one was registered, so it’s important to register and discuss your views,” Dr Mike Lindley-Jones said. “Registration is quick and easy to do online. It takes less than a minute and is important because it leaves your family in no doubt of your wish to be an organ and tissue donor.” Since 2009, more than 10,000 Australians have had their lives saved as a result of a transplant. In 2017, 1,675 lives were saved through the generosity of 510 deceased organ donors and their families and 273 living donors. Today around 1,400 Australians and their families are waiting for the call that a life-saving organ has become available. They are counting on the generosity of a donor, and their family, willing to give the gift of life. “Even if you have previously registered your decision, DonateLife Week is a great opportunity to remind your family about your organ and tissue donation decision, and to ask and know theirs,” Dr Mike Lindley-Jones said. DonateLife Week is led by the Organ and Tissue Authority as part of the national DonateLife campaign and is supported by community events and activities across Australia. To join the Australian Organ Donor Register, or for more information visit, www.donatelife.gov.au