Organ & tissue donation and the World Transplant Games in Perth
Organ and tissue donation can suddenly affect anyone in the community though we all imagine it won’t happen to us. It helps to have considered the issues involved in such an event before being confronted by the unimaginable. Tara Lowther will give a personal account of her road to transplantation and Marg Martin will talk about the largest organ donation event in the world, the World Transplant Games, to be held in Perth from 15 - 21 April 2023. Events like this need many willing volunteers in order to take place. Both speakers are immensely grateful to the donors and their families who gave them ‘the gift of life’, the greatest gift of all.
Tara had a double lung transplant in 2011- I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 6 weeks old, spent the rest of my life in and out of hospital for repeat chest infections. The disease progressively got worse and I was listed for transplant around 2008. After waiting 2.5yrs I finally got the call to get lungs. The op has been unbelievably successful and I am now a sports teacher, have lived in London for 8 years, traveled loads, continue to use sport as a way to look after the lungs and stay as healthy as I can be.
Marg had a liver transplant 26 years ago and has attended six World Transplant Games and seven Australian Transplant Games.