Donate a Life

The Bridgetown Pharmacy held its organ donation information week from 23rd to 30th July, which showcased the DonateLife week.

The theme of the display was ‘It only takes a minute to register as an organ donor, by doing so you could donate a lifetime to a recipient’.

On the Monday two guest speakers from Transplant Australia were available, Margaret Martin and Esther Scott. Both have personal transplant stories and where available to answer any questions in relation to becoming an organ donor.

The Organ Donor awareness week has been a program organised by Pharmacist Andrea Moore at the Bridgetown Pharmacy.

DonateLife has special importance for Andrea as she has also been lucky enough to receive not one but two kidney transplants thanks to organ donation.

As a baby Andrea was not well and was failing to thrive, it was later discovered she had developed kidney cancer. Her doctors removed the unhealthy kidneys and cancer and treated her with chemotherapy, but without kidneys she needed a transplant. Andrea explains what happened next, “My Dad decided to donate one of his kidneys to me, but I needed to put on weight before undergoing this operation. In the meantime, I was put on dialysis.

“In March 1999 when I was eighteen months old the kidney transplant from my dad took place.

“The kidney transplant kept me well for about 14 years. I was a very happy, and I was living the life of a normal kid.

“I played sports like basketball and hockey, did well in school and hung out with my friends and family regularly. You couldn’t tell I had ever been unwell, thanks to my dad’s gift.

“A normal life is something only those who has been unwell for some time truly appreciate.

“During years 11 and 12 of high school, my transplanted kidney was failing and unable to keep me healthy.

“It got to the point where it was safer to have no kidneys and use dialysis rather than keeping the worn-out transplanted kidney.

“So that’s what they did, in 2014 I was put on peritoneal dialysis. I was tethered to a machine in my bedroom for 10-12 hours every night, this was for an indefinite amount of time until a kidney would become available.

“Dialysis life and waiting for a transplant is so difficult and soul crushing. My feet would constantly be burning and swollen as the extra fluid would drain to my feet between dialysis sessions. Feeling fatigued all the time was my new normal, and ‘I’m great’ was the answer to that daily greeting.

“Early on, whilst I was on the wait list for a transplant, my older sister offered to donate one of her kidneys to me. The doctors tested her to see if we’d be a match. We matched perfectly but, as she was only 18 years old at the time, they said she couldn’t donate as she may not have fully considered and understood the risks involved donating at such a young age.

“However, when my sister returned with the offer a few years later. The offer was accepted. It was timely as the dialysis was beginning to not work as well as it had previously for me.

“In November 2016, my sister and I attended Fiona Stanley Hospital for my second kidney transplant.

“And what a difference it has made, I have since become a pharmacist and returned back to the southwest to be close to my family and partner, and give back to the communities that raised me.

“I have been very lucky in lots of ways, although most of my family members now only have one kidney each.”

Organ donation gives those in need a second chance at life. One organ donor can change the lives of up to seven people and many more through eye and tissue donation.

In Australia there is an opt-in process for organ donor registration. The process is quick and easy and you only need your Medicare number when you visit the www.donatelife.gov.au or it can be done with your mygov account.

If you want help in registering you can ask for assistance from Pharmacist Andrea Moore at the Bridgetown Pharmacy, she will be more than happy to help.