Register to donate life this week

For Glenlyon’s Max Primmer, there is no doubt in his mind about the value of the kidney that was donated to him.

"It"s the most precious gift that anyone could give. If someone gave me a million dollars it wouldn’t have been as precious as a new kidney.’

As part of Donate Life Week, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and local member Mary-Anne Thomas has teamed up with Max to raise awareness around organ and tissue donation and to encourage people to join the Australian Organ Donor Register.

"The average wait time for organ donation is between 6 months and 4 years. This is something that can be changed, simply by registering and having a conversation with your loved ones."

"Donate Life Week is the perfect time to make a decision and take action. It literally takes 5 minutes to register online, but the impact could last a lifetime." Ms Thomas said.

The Australian Organ Donor Register gives families an insight into what their loved one wants, and its effectiveness is evident. 91% of families agree to the donation of their loved one’s organs if they know they are registered, this drops to 52% if they’re not registered.

As a beneficiary of the registry, Max encourages people to register their intentions and to do it sooner rather than later, after all he says "when you"re dead, you’ve got no say’.

After suffering from kidney failure in late 2008, Mr Primmer was placed on the Organ Donation waiting list. He went in for dialysis three times a week for three years while he waited to receive the news that would change his life.

"In 2012, I got the phone call that there was a kidney for me in Melbourne. It was so overwhelming."

Since then Mr Primmer says he has put his best foot forward, and seizes every opportunity that comes his way. He says that since the transplant he’s more grateful, more emotional and more socially aware.

Mr Primmer says "I know I’ve been given a second chance, and I’m going to make it count."

Donate Life Week runs from 31 July – 7 August.

For more information and to register online visit www.donatelife.gov.au