CLARE Plunkett took a minute of her life recently to do something that might one day save someone else's life.
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She spends each day helping people in her role as Central West service delivery manager for Kirinari Community Services, which provides supported living and home care, among other services.
The Bathurst resident had always said to her family that she would be an organ donor and officially registered during DonateLife Week.
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"I actually had a Facebook friend who posted a video of two boys that had liver transplants at the age of 10 around the Donatelife Week," Ms Plunkett said.
"I watched the video and she had the link on there, so I decided I would go and register as well.
"It was literally one minute. All I needed to do was add my Medicare card number, name and date of birth and it registered."
Having first-hand knowledge of how important organ donations are, Ms Plunkett strongly encourages other people to register.
"No-one really needs their organs when they've passed on, so for a minute out of your time now to be able to have that hope that somebody else could continue to live on would be a very good thing to do," she said.
"A gentleman I know had to have a heart transplant and I also know of a man whose father had one and he said he had an extra 20 years with his dad because of the heart transplant.
"I'm not going to need anything once I'm gone, so I'm more than happy for them to take it, and if it makes somebody else's family have them for a little bit longer, I hope there'd be other people out there who'd do that for my family."
Although DonateLife Week concluded on August 1, it is never too late to register.
NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service state medical director Michael O'Leary said it is important to increase the number of people who register as only around two per cent of people who die in hospital are eligible to donate their organs.
"With around 1800 people on Australian transplant waiting lists at any one time, and a further 12,000 people on dialysis, you can make a real difference in the lives of others by registering as a donor," he said.
There were 1270 lives saved last year through transplants thanks to 463 generous people who had listed as organ donors.
To register, go online to donatelife.gov.au.
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Amy Rees
Journalist at the Western Advocate in Bathurst since May, 2021.
Journalist at the Western Advocate in Bathurst since May, 2021.
