July 29, 2024This week is DonateLife Week – an annual national public awareness week to highlight the importance of organ and tissue donation.
The week aims to encourage more Australians to register their wishes to become an organ and tissue donor and be the reason someone gets a second chance at life. One organ donor can save the lives of up to seven people and change the lives of many more through eye and tissue donation.
Northern Health’s Donation Specialist Team, which comprises of Medical Donation Specialist, Dr David Crosbie, and Donation Nurse Specialist, Bridget Walters, work closely with DonateLife Victoria to support and offer families of Northern Health patients the possibility of organ and tissue donation within our Intensive Care Unit.
At Northern Health last year, two families said ‘yes’ to organ donation. These donations saved and transformed the lives of three very grateful recipients. Seven families said ‘yes’ to eye donation, restoring the sight and changing the lives of 14 recipients.
“We thank all organ and tissue donors and their families for their generosity,” said the Donation Specialist team.
The Donation Specialist team is proud to work with many teams across Northern Health to support patients and families throughout the donation process.
Dr David Crosbie said organ and tissue donation would not be possible at Northern Health without the dedication, kindness, teamwork and compassion that is in place to care for patients and their families going through organ and tissue donation.
“We are privileged to work and collaborate amongst a large multidisciplinary team, in particular with our Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Theatre and Palliative Care Unit colleagues, as well as Medical Designated Officers, Northern Pathology, Radiology, Echocardiology and Interventional Cardiology,” he said.
“We thank them for their ongoing support and accommodating nature.”
Within the critical care areas and Palliative Care Unit are organ and tissue donation nurse champions, who work closely with Bridget Walters in creating awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation, partake in professional development in this area, and are a pivotal resource to colleagues as well as providing education.
Bridget acknowledges the ongoing commitment of these nurse champions towards organ and tissue donation at Northern Health and looks forward to continue working with them.
An important aspect of the donation role is family conversations. The donation specialist team wish to thank the Transcultural and Language Services (TALS) team, interpreters, social work and allied health staff for their willingness to support the team during donation conversations and for their expertise and empathy towards families during this difficult time.
“My role as the Nurse Donation Specialist is a unique and privileged role that allows me to meet with families and learn what is important to them and their loved one,” Bridget said.
“It’s very humbling to sit with a family and learn about their loved one, whilst they’re feeling such grief. Yet they find it within themselves to consent to donation, providing the ultimate gift of life to another.”
In light of DonateLife Week, the Northern Donation team is privileged to share Arghavan’s donor story, with the persmission of Arghavan’s husband Moh.
For the longest time, Arghavan (known as Aggie amongst friends), dreamt of pursuing a career as a model. She had a great passion for health and fitness, and loved languages, too, says her husband, Moh.
He recalls when they immigrated to Australia from Iran over a decade ago. Arghavan spoke Persian (Farsi) and French, and learnt English in her first year here.
“She was a very smart person,” Moh says.
Arghavan also had epilepsy. Tragically, she died unexpectedly after a seizure two years ago. She was 34.
Though they hadn’t ever discussed organ and tissue donation, Moh was a registered donor himself, and believed Arghavan would have wanted to donate her organs if it meant helping others. Arghavan saved several lives because of her incredible gifts.
“I know it’s a personal decision, but once you pass away, at the end I think you should contribute,” says Moh, who has received letters from some of the recipients of his wife’s organs.
“In the letters, they have told their story and explained what it has meant to have the donation which saved them. This has been beautiful and has meant a lot to me,” Moh says.
Moh feels great comfort knowing that Arghavan’s organs were able to save the lives of others. He also believes it is important to have the discussion about organ and tissue donation with family and friends.
“Family will ultimately make the final decision and it might be hard for them otherwise. Just let them know what your expectation is,” he says.
This important week gives hope to 1,800 Australians waiting for a life-saving organ transplant and 14,000 more on dialysis for kidney failure who need Australia’s help. This DonateLife Week, be the reason someone gets a second chance at life.
Register as an organ and tissue donor at donatelife.gov.au or via your Medicare Express Plus app – and don’t forget to tell your family.
Featured image: Arghavan (far left) with her husband Moh and two children.
