Deciding to donate your organs or tissue
It’s your choice if you want to donate your organs and tissue.
An organ and tissue donor can save up to 7 lives. Right now, more than 1,800 people are waiting for an organ transplant. There are an additional 14,000 people on dialysis who would benefit from a kidney transplant.
You can choose which organs and tissue to donate. You can also change your mind about being a donor at any time.
When you decide, record your decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register.
Remember, it’s important to tell your family what you decide about organ and tissue donation. They’ll have the final say about this when you die, so they need to know what you want.
You can read more about organ and tissue donation on the DonateLife website. DonateLife help to deliver government programs to improve organ and tissue donation. Their website has information on:
- what you can donate
- who can donate
- how the donation process works.
Registering your decision
The Australian Organ Donor Register is quick and easy to join and update online. It is the only national register in Australia.
This register is for donating organs and tissue for people who need a transplant. It’s not for donating organs for research.
When you register, you tell us:
- your donation decision
- which organs or tissue you want to donate.
If you change your mind, you can update your decision on the register.
It’s important to be on the register as it’s the best way to be clear about what you want.
To find out how to register, read more about the Australian Organ Donor Register.