The 5th Donor Heroes Night is a national event which celebrates, honours and commemorates the men, women and children of Australia who have given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.

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This years Event aims to raise the profile of organ/tissue donation and transplantation across the broader Australia community.  2023 saw a national donation rate of 513 which still remains below the 2018 record high  of 554.   However, Australians donation rate remains 60% below that of Spain’s which leads the world at 48.9p/n.   While Australia is once again slowly improving from its poor base line in 2009, we should not remain complacent while Australia remains ranked 15th in the world.   By highlighting those that have given the Gift of Life we can generate greater interest for the public to embrace organ/tissue donation.   

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From Donor Families Australia perspective the following can also greatly assist in raising the current Family consent rate from a low 55%:

• Those wishing to be a donor following their passing need to have the conversation with their family,

• The family need to educate themselves as to what the organ & retrieval process involves for them - (https://www.donatelife.gov.au/all-about-donation),

• The management and support of donor families need to be consistent across all retrieval hospitals,

• Communication post retrieval between donor families and their recipients and their family members need to be managed seamlessly,

• There needs to be a strong repour between the Organ & Tissue Authority and Donor Families Australia (the peak Donor Family body) which does not currently exist.

• While the Australian Organ Door Register is recognised as a helpful management tool, it should not supersede the issues identified above,

The Human Tissue Act as it currently stands has a strong bias towards the medical community with little or no involvement of donor families nationally.

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It is said that "one is 10 times more likely to require a transplant of some nature in their lifetime than they would find themselves becoming a Donor Hero."

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On May 2020, the inaugural Donor Heroes Night was undertaken.  The event was inspired by thousands of Aussies commemorating ANZAC day when they came out of their homes in the early morning to remember our ANZAC Heroes, light a candle or played the last post in their memory.   So why couldn't the same be done to acknowledge and celebrate the approximate 25,000 Donor Heroes who have given themselves to save or benefit others during the past 37 years.   DFA recognises all organ and tissue donors as well as living donors drawing on data provided from DonateLife and ANZDATA.

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2020 resulted in 50,000 Australians through the various social media platforms being involved.

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2021 saw this number rise to 125,000 that were involved in the weeks leading up to and including the night of the 18th May. 

2022 resulted in involving a total of 260,127 Facebook "Reaches, Likes, Engagements, Comments and Shared postings" which exceeded our original goal of 250,000.   The event for the first time reached out to several overseas organisations and it is hoped that this international exposure will continue to grow.   On the evening of 18th May 30,623 actions on Facebook involving posting photos of their light/candle and Donor Hero loved one accompanied by comments supported by family, friends, and the community at large occurred.

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2023 was equally as successful as that of 2022, as DFA reached out to Australians Federal Politicians resulting approximately 20 from all sides of politics supporting the Event.  In 2024 it is hoped to expand such involvement as Donor Heroes' Night is truly a National Community Event 

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For organ and tissue donation to continue to grow it is MOST IMPORTANT to have the conversation with your family members, educate yourself in what is involved in the process of becoming a Donor and remember to sign onto the Australian Organ/Tissue Donor Registry.