In honour of DonateLife Week (31 July – 7 August), the Big Banana will turn bright pink every night next week to raise awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation.
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During DonateLife Week 2016, Mid North Coast Local Health District is urging Coffs Harbour residents to join the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR) online to help end the wait for those in need of a life-saving transplant. The pink lighting of the Big Banana is hoped to catch the attention of all Coffs Harbour residents, and in turn encourage more registrations on the AODR.
Mid North Coast Local Health District will also be holding community awareness raising events at the Coffs Harbour Health Campus on Monday, 1 August, at Coffs Harbour Growers Market on Thursday, 4 August and at Valla Markets on Saturday, 6 August.
Coffs Harbour teenager Jesse Vincent-Ellis has Danon Disease, a rare hereditary heart disease which causes thickening of the heart, muscle weakness and eventually death unless he has a heart transplant.
Jesse and his family are encouraging people to make the decision to donate, have the conversation with their families and put their names on the register so that people like him can have a second chance at life.
Mid North Coast Local Health District Organ and Tissue Donation Clinical Nurse Specialist Anne Judd says registering on the AODR is important because it ensures the individual’s family members are aware of their decision to save lives as an organ and tissue donor.
“With around 1,500 Australians like Jesse on transplant waiting lists today, we need to optimise every donation opportunity to save more lives – we can all do this by joining the Register online and sharing our decision with family and friends,” Ms Judd said.
In Australia, the family will always be asked to confirm the donation decision of their loved one before donation for transplantation can proceed. Families that have discussed and know each other’s donation decisions are more likely to support donation proceeding.
“We urge all Australians to discover the facts about organ and tissue donation, and to make and register your donation decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register and let your family and friends know your decision,” Ms Judd said.
DonateLife Week is led by the Organ and Tissue Authority as part of the national DonateLife campaign and supported by community events and activities across Australia.
For more information, visit donatelife.gov.au
