Data from a report released today reveals 2024 was the busiest clinical year on record for DonateLife Tasmania, resulting in the highest ever state and national rate of 43.5 donors per million people (dpmp), up 18.5% on the 2023 dpmp.
This is a rate of organ donation that’s comparable to some of the world’s leading countries including Spain and the USA, and is more than double the national average of 19.4 dpmp.
These results are only possible due to the generosity of 25 Tasmanian donors and their families, that meant across Australia 68 people were able to receive a life-saving and transforming transplant.
This is the highest ever number of Tasmanian families who said yes to donation since DonateLife was established in 2010, and is a 19% increase of both the donation and transplant outcomes from the previous year.
The report results also show Tasmania has the highest rate of consent for donation in Australia at 72%, well above the national average of 53% in 2024.
Statistics show that in hospital 8 in 10 families say yes to donation if their family member has registered to be a donor. However, this halves when a family is uncertain about what their family member wanted – just 4 out of 10 families say yes in this case.
49% of Tasmanians aged 16 years and older have already joined the donor register, this is the second highest percentage behind South Australia, and well above that national rate of 36%.
The continuing increase in these outcomes in Tasmania is attributed to the generosity of Tasmanian donor families, and the dedicated work of donation specialists, hospital and health service staff, as well as ongoing improvements in clinical practice and collaboration with the transplant sector.
All of these results for Tasmania show the community strongly supports organ and tissue donation.
DonateLife Tasmania said there’s still more work to do so that more people might benefit from the life saving and transforming impact of receiving a transplant.
There are currently 1,800 Australians on the waitlist for an organ transplant. A further 14,000 people are on kidney dialysis, many of whom would also benefit from a kidney transplant.
One organ donor can save the lives of up to 7 people and change the lives of many more through eye and tissue donation.
“We want all Tasmanians to do just 2 things, to help more Australians receive a life-saving transplant,” said a DLT spokesperson.
“First, register to be a donor. It only takes one minute on the DonateLife website www.donatelife.gov.au or through Medicare.
Then, make sure you tell your family that you’ve registered. This leaves them certain about what you want.”
Shane Gilbert
Shane Gilbert was one of 1328 Australians who received an organ transplant last year, due to the generosity of 527 deceased organ donors nationally.
He was also among 287 Australians who were fortunate to receive a liver transplant in 2024. For most of these people, receiving a transplant can mean the difference between life and death.
For many transplant recipients, transplantation enables people to resume and active role in their family, workplace and the community
Three and a half years ago, Shane Gilbert’s liver function started to decline due to the increasing impact of liver disease.
As his condition worsened, in the 6-8 months before his transplant further tests revealed he had also developed liver cancer. His mobility became compromised to the extent that he eventually needed to use a wheelchair to get around.
As his liver function continued to decline rapidly, he needed to regularly have excess fluid drained from his body, which was essential but painful. He became very tired and fatigued, and his prognosis for the future was becoming very grim.
When he asked his treating medical team how long he might have left, they said it was a ‘flip of the coin’, the only certainty was he could eventually die if he was unable to receive a liver transplant.
This progressive change of circumstances for Gilbert became very difficult for his working life.
He had his own business running a school bus service, but being unable to work meant he had to pay for someone else to continue his business, which became very costly and unsustainable.
Jjust before winter set in last year, Gilbert received a call that would change the course of his life.
After being actively waitlisted for a liver transplant for 6-8 months, he was called to make arrangements to get to Melbourne urgently, as a donated liver had been matched to his clinical profile.
A range of emotions set in, he was thinking about the person who had died and potentially was providing him with an opportunity to survive.
The transplant proceeded as planned. He then spent 21 days in hospital where he had some challenges relating to infection, and some frightening reactions to some medications, but he was alive and he was able to return home after 2 weeks.
It’s been less than a year since his transplant, his body is slowly adjusting to his new liver. He is getting closer to resolving some of the related medical issues that are sometimes part of the challenges that continue after receiving a transplant.
Most importantly, Shane Gilbert is now optimistic that he has a future.
As a small business operator, he’s been able to return to work running his school bus driving service, and some of the business pressures he had when he couldn’t drive have reduced.
He is determined to make the best of his new opportunity, and as a grandfather, he looks forward to being able to spend time with family that he previously was at risk of losing.
