Mark - kidney recipient, WA

Man wearing the Australian army uniform
No matter how tough things get, I always remind myself to enjoy every extra day and make the most of this second chance.

Mark served his country, both here in Australia and on the battlefields of Iraq. It was only after seeing combat he received a diagnosis that could have been his death sentence: stage five kidney failure. 

Mark spent months on dialysis, but in 2022 received a second chance at life by way of a kidney transplant. 

‘No matter how tough things get, I always remind myself to enjoy every extra day and make the most of this second chance,’ says Mark. 

Mark is a modest man. Not only is he now living his best life, but he also competed in the World Transplant Games, where he took home gold medals. 

‘I wouldn’t have had this opportunity without someone registering as a donor, and talking about it with their family,’ he says. 

 ‘The family said yes, and I got to live again.’

We want all Australians to talk about organ and tissue donation. If you want to be a donor, make sure you tell your family and friends.

Registering is easy and only takes one minute. All you need is your phone, Medicare card and one minute to register.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, your medical history, your lifestyle, what country you’re from or how healthy you are — you can still register as an organ and tissue donor.

The Organ and Tissue Authority acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.

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