Your questions about organ donation answered

At any given time in Australia, around 1,400 people are on an organ waitlist, hoping for a call that will transform their lives forever.

In 2017, 1,675 Aussies received lifesaving transplants from 510 deceased donors and 273 living donors. Meanwhile, 9,600 Australians also received eye and tissue transplants that changed their lives. Organ transplants are something most people are aware of, but many people have questions and aren’t always sure how to bring up the topic with their families, friends, partners and loved ones.

DonateLife CEO Lucina Barry recently spoke to Starts at 60 about the importance of talking about organ donation with loved ones, and answered some questions that many people in the Starts at 60 community had about organ donation.

Do I need to register online even if I registered with my driver’s licence?

In the past, Australians were able to register their intent to donate their organs via their driver’s licence, but health ministers made the decision to create a national registry for organ donation, rather than separate registries for each state. The change means all Australians are in one database.

“As we know, we’re a mobile country as well,” Barry explained. People aren’t always in their own state.”

While South Australians can still register on their driver’s licences, the most streamlined way to register is through the website DonateLife.gov.au. It takes less than a minute and all that is required is a Medicare card number, as well as a donor’s name and date of birth.

Is there a cost involved for my family if I choose to donate my organs?

There is no cost involved for families who decide to donate a loved one’s organs. In fact, it is illegal in Australia for there to be any exchanges in money for organ donation. Organ donations around the country are done through the public health system.

“There is definitely no cost for families if their loved one is to become a donor,” Barry said.

Do I have a choice in the organs I want to donate?

Becoming an organ donor is all about choice, meaning a donor can choose what they do and don’t want to donate. When registering online, donors are given the option to select which organs and tissues they would want to donate.

“Once you have registered to be an organ and tissue donor, you can go online and decide which organ you would like to donate,” Barry said.

I’m older and have had health issues in the past. Am I still eligible?

There is no cut-off age when it comes to organ donation in Australia, but donors do need to be aged over 16.

“When it comes to actual organ donation itself, Australia has donors in their late-80s,” Barry said.

Equally, existing health conditions aren’t a barrier when it comes to becoming a donor and organs a person may not think would be fit for donation could actually be fine. It’s always best to express interest and to let doctors make the choice of what can or can’t be donated when the times comes.

“Doctors at the bedside talk to their family, have a look at their medical history and they’ll determine whether the person is able to become a donor or not,” Barry added.

Read more: Why over-60s shouldn’t count themselves out when it comes to organ donation

Can my family still stay no, even if I want to donate my organs?

In Australia, even if a person registers to become an organ donor, it will be their family that gives consent at the bedside or at end-of-life care where they can’t give consent themselves.

“The register leaves your family with no doubt of your wish to be a donor, but in Australia and all around the world, all the world leaders ask families to consent at the bedside,” Barry explained. “There is no clinician that would walk away with a person in a bed while their family is screaming out, ‘you can’t do this’.”

The consent rate is around 74 per cent if a donor has told their family they wish to be a donor whereas this figure drops to just 44 per cent when someone has not registered or discussed their views with their family.

If so many others are donating, why do I have to?

While thousands of people receive donations each year, Australia will never meet demand for transplant. In fact, no country has ever met demand.

There are around 1,000 people at any given time waiting for an organ in Australia, the majority of those people waiting for a kidney transplant.

Will a loved one look different or disfigured if their organs are donated?

For families who wish to have an open casket at a funeral or service, one of their biggest concerns is their loved one will look different or that an open casket won’t be an option.

This isn’t the case and the organ donation process is treated like any other operation as if they were alive.

“It is done with absolute respect and skill as with any other operation,” Barry explained. “If you’re becoming a donor, you will have a very experienced surgeon who operates on people and is a trained health professional.”

Read more: What really happened when we donated our mother’s organs

Will the funeral be paid for if we agree to donate organs?

While it doesn’t cost families for the organ donation operation to take place, the cost of funerals is not covered and is something families would still need to pay for.

“Trained staff assist with end of life care proceeding to donation,” Barry explained. “However, families are required to pay for and make the funeral arrangements consistent with normal end of life.”

What are your thoughts on organ donation? Is it something you will do?

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.