Territorians are being urged to help save the lives of others by becoming organ and tissue donors.
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DonateLife NT's Program and Policy Director, Lee Wood, said DonateLife Week 2020 aimed to encourage more Australians to register as donors to give someone else a second chance at life.
"Registering literally takes just one minute and in that brief time you can make the ultimate difference to the life of another person," Ms Wood said.
"If you are already registered, you can do more by talking to your family and friends and telling them to do what you have done and to register too."
Ms Wood said while the majority of Australians supported organ donation, not enough people were actually registered.
"So many Territorians say they are willing to donate their organs and tissues but 87 per cent have yet to register on-line with the Australian Organ Donor Register.
"All it takes to become a donor is a single, simple step."
Last year four NT donors saved, or improved, the lives of 10 recipients, giving them a second chance at life.
"While the majority of Australians believe it's important to be an organ and tissue donor, only one in three are registered nationwide, and the percentage is even less in the Northern Territory," said Khim Tan, Donation Specialist Nurse at Alice Springs Hospital.
"We want to raise awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation during DonateLife Week and how this gift will be life-changing for someone in need," Ms Tan said.
One Central Australian who can attest to this fact is Allan Campbell, an Arrernte man from a homeland near Alice Springs, who received the gift of a kidney more than four years ago.
"I want more Aboriginal people to get more kidneys. It will make our people live longer if they understand that when you get the kidney it can make you live another 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years longer," Mr Campbell said.
Mr Campbell openly talks about his kidney story and he wants to tell other Aboriginal people that becoming an organ donor is a good thing to do.
"If you look after your organs, you can give those organs to someone else to help them live longer and change their life," he said.
He said some people thought having a kidney transplant would not be the right thing to do, but he does not agree.
"After facing a series of tests I went on the donor list but it took several years to find a match. I was on dialysis and I could not go anywhere. I have to tell people that getting that little kidney was the best thing I have ever done. Now I have my life back."
It is quick and easy to become a registered donor and make a real difference to the lives of others.
"We want to inspire all Central Australians to make a real difference to the lives of others by registering and telling their family they want to be a donor," Ms Tan said.
About 1700 Australians are currently wait-listed for an organ transplant with another 11,000 people around the country currently requiring dialysis.
To register visit www.donatelife.gov.au
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