Harry Irvine loves helping out his dad at work after school and even runs triathlons
However the 10 year old was born with a teratoma . A tumour that affected the development of his kidneys.
When Harry needed a kindey transplant, his father, Brendan, became the donor.
"It’s hard, there’s no doubt about that, but the feeling afterward, it’s indescribable - it’s the biggest gift you can give, it is giving life."
Lack of awareness
More than 500 people were donors this year and on average, each helped save three lives.
Dr Amanda Mathers works as a renal physician at the Royal North Shore Hospital. She believes one of the major problems that patients in need of organs is the lack of awareness about the issue.
"I don't think that people really appreciate how much of a difference it really makes to people's lives and I think if they did they'd probably have those conversations earlier and make sure their families understand how they feel about transplant."
Australia is lagging behind
With the advancements in technology, the majority of new organs go to someone in need. However Australia is currently 17th in organ donations, compared to other countries.
The CEO of Donate Life, a non-profit organization that is one of the most prominent organ donation groups in Australia, Lucinda Barry agrees
I think the more we can talk about donation in Australia and normalise organ donation, the more donors we'll have. We know that about 70 per cent of Australians say they are willing to become a donor, but only around 30 per cent have put themselves on the register."
However, despite the increasing number of donors, some communities are hesitant to broach the subject.
Dr Neera Bhatia, a law lecturer from Deakin University, says its vital to open avenues of communication with these communities for the issue.
"We need to work with the elders in those communities as well as the younger generation in getting to understand what those cultural values or beliefs are and saying, how do we dispel any myths or fears that those communities may have, including our own Indigenous communities."
It's a message that could help save lives.
