This time last year I was in the RPAH Intensive Care Unit oblivious to the amazing team of medical professionals who were working frantically to save my life. Everything that needed to go right to correct what had catastrophically gone wrong, had to happen with miraculous timing.
A year on I can now celebrate a Christmas with my family and friends.
Also a year on, I can reflect on what the life saving efforts of the RPAH Team have made possible in the advancement of organ donation and transplant awareness in Australia.
With out the team at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital saving my life some things that have since transpired would not yet have happened if they ever would have.
In NSW we now have the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Organ and Tissue Group, Co Chaired by David Mehan and Adam Crouch who have agreed to review the 2012 plan to increase organ donation awareness. In addition they are looking to reintroduce driver’s license registration and posthumous recognition of deceased donor status.
The retiring Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Shadow Health Minster Ryan Park have agreed to look into improving clinical processes and procedures for transplants across New South Wales Hospitals.
The Minister for Customer Service, Victor Dominello worked with me to introduce a link to The National Registry of organ donation on the Service NSW App which inspired similar measures been considered in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and WA. The ACT placed a prominent link to the National register on their widely used website for Canberra residents.
In Western Australia the Chief Health Officer and Health Minister issued a letter to donor families, advising there was no public interest in prosecuting families under the WA HTTA, enabling them to celebrate and commemorate their loved ones. The government and opposition in WA have agreed to introduce a friends of Parliament group in WA to further review their HTTA and introduce posthumous recognition and driver’s license registration of organ donation.
In South Australia the parliament introduced new legislation to allow families of deceased donors to have posthumous recognition of donor status.
More of my advocacy since you saved my life can be seen at https://www.transplantadvocacy.com/
I have participated in Donatelife Activities like the great race to raise awareness as well as Jersey Day, Donor Heroes Night, End the Wait Fundraising for kids awaiting transplants and will be competing and volunteering at the World Transplant Games.
At a community level I joined the Killarney Vale football Club and was awarded two environmental grants for initiatives to improve my local community.
The impact I have made as a forever grateful recipient and passionate Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Awareness Advocate is still being felt in every state and territory across Australia and around the world. hopefully my work will continue for years to come. All of it has been made possible because a family said YES, and a team of selfless individuals worked throughout the festive season to save my life.
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART ❤️
Robert Manning
Liver Recipient
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