As Perth prepares to host the World Transplant Games, WA continues to punch above its weight in the use of donor organs.
Cathy O’Leary reports
In Australia, there are about 1800 people waitlisted for a life-saving transplant. Another 12,000 people are on dialysis who could benefit from a kidney transplant.
They are some of the key statistics that are expected to get some airtime when Perth hosts the 24th World Transplant Games this month, from April 15-21.
It is the world’s largest organ donation awareness event, with athletes from 50 countries flocking to WA to compete for gold, silver and bronze – involving people who have received organs such as heart, liver, lung, kidney, pancreas and bone marrow.
First held 1978 in Portsmouth, UK, the games have grown to become a beacon for transplant recipients, their families and supporters, donor families and living donors.
The games have been held on the continents of North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. This will be the third time the event has been held in Australia, after being previously hosted by Sydney in 1997 and the Gold Coast in 2009.
The seven-day program of high-exertion and low-impact sports, along with many social and cultural events, caters to both elite and social athletes and attracts 2500 participants from over 60 nations.
According to Transplant Australia CEO and World Transplant Games Federation president Chris Thomas, the event serves three purposes – firstly to encourage transplant recipients to be as fit as possible, while accommodating their new life with their transplanted organs.
It also enables organisers to promote organ donation and encourage more people across the world to consider organ donation because they get to see the benefits of donation through the lives of the competing recipients.
And thirdly, it is a way to acknowledge the people who made it possible – the doctors, nurses and the all-important donors.
Just hours to live
In 2017, Perth woman Wendy Hawks was given only hours to live. This month, five years after her heart transplant, she will compete in the World Transplant Games.
Wendy, now aged 66, suffered heart failure most of her life due to a viral infection. In 2017, her condition became acute, requiring a left ventricular assist device to keep her heart pumping. After six months on the waiting list, her life was saved when she received a heart transplant in 2018.
Wendy will compete in five events – the 3km walk, shotput, long jump, 200m sprint, and badminton. To prepare for the games, she has been training and competing with Masters Athletics WA.
For her, it is an opportunity to celebrate how far she has come and to inspire others on their own transplant journey. She hopes her participation in the games will raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation and inspire others to consider becoming a donor.
Mr Thomas said with more than 1800 Australians now waiting for a transplant, it was crucial to promote the positive message of the lives saved through the gift of life.
“Every Australian can make a difference by registering as a donor. It takes just one minute but has the potential to give someone years of extra life,” he said.
“These games demonstrate what transplant recipients can achieve on the sporting field. Transplant Australia is committed to improving the lives of those waiting and those who have received a transplant.”
Showcasing our best
The Australian Government through the Commonwealth Department of Health and the Organ and Tissue Authority and the WA State Government are major partners of the games.
Locally, the event is supported by Tourism WA, the Health Department, VenuesWest and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
The games will feature 16 different sports including swimming, athletics, tenpin bowling, table tennis and cycling.
Athletes will compete at numerous sporting venues, including HBF Stadium, WA Athletics Stadium, Bendat Basketball Centre, Gold Netball Centre and Champion Lakes Regatta Centre, with the opening ceremony to take place at Optus Stadium.
A series of related events including cultural activities, donor recognition opportunities and a gala dinner will also showcase Perth’s world-class hospitality and tourism offerings on a global stage.
Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said many people who received organ transplants or tissue donations had a congenital or genetic condition, illness or sudden organ failure.
“Fortunately, Australia has one of the best transplant success rates in the world, with research showing the majority of Australians support organ and tissue donation,” she said.
“The World Transplant Games shows the importance of organ and tissue donation and how it can save and transform lives.”
ED: For more information visit www.worldtransplantgames.org
To register as donor, visit
www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today