PRESS RELEASE: Donor Heroes Night
Australia’s national Donor Heroes’ Night is tomorrow and Australian households are being reminded to ‘leave a light on’ in support of organ and tissue donation at 6pm on the evening of May 18, 2021. Donor Heroes’ Night is a free online event designed to commemorate and celebrate the lives of approximately 10,000 Australian organ and tissue donors who have given the ultimate gift so that others may live. it is also an awareness raising initiative.
Donor Families Australia has a broad selection of ‘donor hero’ family members who are happy to share their stories with the media. According to Donate Life Australia organ and tissue donation levels declined by 16 per cent in 2020, and there are currently 1,650 Australians currently waitlisted for an organ transplant. A total of 1270 Australian lives were saved through the generosity of 463 deceased organ donors last year, with 9 out of 10 families agreeing to donation if their family member was registered on the Australian donor register.
Donor Heroes’ Night organiser, Mr. Graham Harrison, lost his 10-year-old son Ben in 1993, and May 18 marks the anniversary of Ben’s passing. As an organ donor, Ben’s heart and lungs went to a 12- year-old girl, and his kidneys saved a 50-year-old man.
The Donor Families Australia website has a dedicated event page with downloadable flyers and donor hero stories to help journalists, schools and interested organisations spread the word about the event. They also have family members who are willing to speak to the press.
Donor Heroes’ Night starts at 6pm on May 18th and participants are asked to upload their photos to the Donor Families Australia Facebook page which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/DonorFamiliesAustralia.
In 2020, almost 50,000 participants took part, and this year, Graham and his team are aiming to add an ‘extra zero’ on that figure.
Further information can be found at: https://www.donorfamiliesaustralia.org/donor-heroes-night
and a downloadable poster is available on the page or via this link here.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Graham Harrison // Media Contact // Mobile: 0421 697 048
Bruce McDowell // Chairman // Mobile: 0427 645 262
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BOILERPLATE: Donor Families Australia is a national member-based independent support and advocacy group comprising families who have donated their loved ones’ organs and tissue. It’s the only organisation of its kind in Australia specifically dedicated to Donor Families.
