Donate Life is calling for more people to nominate as organ and tissue donors – and the opportunity to be a tissue donor is greater than people think.

The opportunity for donation of organs such as liver, heart and kidneys is very narrow - only 1 per cent of a hospital population or an ICU population are suitable.

However, people have up to 24 hours to donate tissue such as cornea, skin, heart valves and bone after death. That means people can become a tissue donor whether they die in hospital, at home, in a nursing home or in a hospice. 

There is no age limit for tissue donation – a clean living 70-year old can donate healthier tissue than a younger person who has been committed to hard living. One eye tissue donor in the ACT was a 92-year old whose corneas were transplanted.

Donations are never received without a full medical check, to ensure the candidate is suitable. Non viable organs or tissues would never be removed.

Bone donation can be used for many purposes.The whole bone can be used, or it can be processed to patch holes in other bones. 

Up to half of grieving families say no to donation when their loved one hadn’t had a prior conversation with them, because the family doesn’t know what they would have wanted.

Some families believe donation is against their religion. Most religions do not prohibit donation. Many religious leaders say organ and tissue donation is an altruistic gift to support the health and well-being of another.