Public buses in the Northern Rivers including nine in Lismore, are part of the campaign to boost our falling organ and tissue donation rate, currently standing at only 1-in-3 people Australia wide. Some 1800 patients are awaiting a life-saving donation.
Australia has recorded a 16 per cent decrease in the number of new donor registrations since 2019, partly due to the COVID-19 related cancellation of awareness-raising events across the country.
Northern NSW Local Health District nurse Camilla Jenal is excited to be the face of this year’s campaign, after receiving a live-saving heart transplant in 2012. After becoming so unwell with heart failure due to an autoimmune disease, Camilla required the assistance of a mechanical pump to keep her heart working.
This bought Camilla precious time until she received the call that saved her life. Camilla hopes that the campaign will encourage locals to head to the DonateLife website to register, and prompt conversations about organ and tissue donation with their family and friends.
The bus artwork asks people to join the Great Registration Race, which is the theme for this year’s DonateLife Week.
A significant barrier is that many people still believe they can register as a donor via the NSW driver’s licence, however it is crucial that they head to donatelife.gov.au and check if they’re registered. It only takes one minute with a Medicare card.
Buses participating in the campaign are located across the Tweed region, Lismore area and Grafton. DonateLife Week runs from 25 July – 1 August 2021, but of course is every day of the year.
