When Oren Klemich lost his teenage son to Meningococcal 16 years ago, he took comfort in knowing Jack was keeping other people alive.
A registered organ donor, five of the 18-year-old’s organs were donated following his death.
“It’s nice to know that a part of Jack is still out there keeping people alive. It’s a good feeling,” Oren said.
“We’re very proud of our gorgeous boy.”
South Australia has the highest organ donation rate in the country with 74 per cent of eligible people registered.
But in the 16 to 24 age category, the rate is almost half that, sitting at 40 per cent.
“We are punching well above our weight and we would love to see other states take that up,” Health Minister Chris Picton said.
“Right across the country there are people waiting by the phone for when an organ becomes available.”
It’s a selfless act which affords people like kidney and liver recipient Dimitri and heart recipient Nicole a new lease on life.
“Being told I can’t have children, I’ve got five now so that’s like a big deal,” Dimitri said.
“It can be a powerful conversation instead of having to be an awkward one.”
Nicole said she’d like see the conversation normalised in homes across the country.
“My heart was incredibly unpredictable and they called it a ticking time bomb and so that’s when I was listed for transplant,” she said.
South Australia is the only state where the process is as simple as ticking a box.
The state government says the best time to register is when you are getting or renewing your drivers’ licence.
“Just raise it over the dinner table just talk about it when they are on their P’s and their L’s and doing their forms, just tick that box and then everybody knows what you want,” DonateLife SA Dr Stewart Moodie said.
More than 1800 Australians are currently on the transplant waitlist.
Each registered organ donor can save up to seven lives.
