The Donation Process
How donation works
Around 1,700 people are currently waitlisted for a transplant. A further 12,000 people are on dialysis of whom many would benefit from a kidney transplant.
The donation process typically happens in four stages:
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Registering to be a donor
Joining the Australian Organ Donor Register can change the lives of people who receive transplants — and their families. This is a record of your decision to one day donate your organs and tissues on your death for transplantation to people who need them.
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Joining the Register helps to reassure your family of your wishes, because they would be asked to confirm whether you wanted to be a donor before donation for transplantation can occur.
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Your information is protected. Only authorised staff can access the register to confirm your donation decision.
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How to register
Please join the Australian Organ Donor Register today. Registering only takes a minute and all you need is your Medicare Card number.
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If you previously recorded a donation decision on your state driver’s licence, you still need to join the national Australian Organ Donor Register. South Australia is the only state where residents can record a donation decision via their driver’s licence.
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Other ways to register
There are more ways to join the Australian Organ Donor Register:
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Register using your existing myGov account
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Register or update your details via the Express Plus Medicare app
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Download and mail a new registration or update my details form
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If you are not sure if you are already registered, simply go through the same registration process and your record of registration will be checked. You will be advised if you are already on the register.
After you register
Once you’ve registered, tell your family. In Australia the family is always asked to confirm the donation decision of their loved one. When their loved one is a registered donor, 9 in 10 families agree to donation.
Let them know about your decision and ask about theirs.
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DonateLife’s ‘How to have the discussion about organ and tissue donation’ fact sheet can help get you started.