Jason was a fit energetic 27 year old who had just moved from South Australia to Queensland to start a new life. He was working as a carpenter and loved living in Queensland. One day he started to have a shortness of breath and decided to go and see a doctor to find out what was wrong. The next thing he knew he was in an ambulance off to the Prince Charles Hospital as he had an enlarged heart and had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

The next six months of his life were a struggle as he could no longer work and was tired and out of breath all the time. He got so sick and was talking with the doctor about being put onto life support when the doctor received "the call" that they had found Jason a heart. Words can't describe how grateful we were that he had been given this gift. Within one week he was able to go home.

He then received a letter to say he had also saved the life of a 16 year old boy as they could use the valves of his original heart.

He returned to South Australia to be closer to his family where he lived life to the fullest even competing and winning medals in the Transplant Games.

Sadly, one month shy of his six year anniversary, Jason passed away from heart failure. Without that gift of life we never would have had Jason for those extra years. I have always been an organ donor but never really realised just how important it is until it affected someone I loved.

Amanda