Chris Thomas' Speech for The Zammit Family Awareness Dinner

21 February 2009

Good evening

We are all here tonight because we have witnessed something special. We have seen first hand the generosity of one family to enable others to live.

To be touched by such an act of goodwill makes us feel good about the world around us.

But for those who receive donated organs and tissues its much more than that nice inner glow. It’s a chance at life. It really is the difference between life and death.

My name is Chris Thomas and I am the Chief Executive Officer of the national community-based charity, Transplant Australia.

We represent some 4,000 people who have all had that second chance at life, some 200 living donors and more than 250 donor families – people just like the Zammits.

Mostly all transplant recipients have a long leadup time to prepare for their transplant – which is itself, life-changing. They might have developed cardiomyopathy which affects the heart muscle, suffered from diabetes leading to kidney failure, been born with a liver deficiency which will eventually lead to the liver needing to be replaced, or been born with Cystic Fibrosis which can eventually renders a person’s lungs useless.

Conversely all donor families have little or no time to prepare for their decision to be touched by this amazing gift. They have all, at some stage, stood around an intensive care bed, with little or no warning, facing heartache and pain.

Yet from this place of sorrow emerges something truly miraculous. In their darkest hour, they are able to think clearly enough to see that something good, something inspirational, can come from their personal loss.

Oliver to undertake this decision half a world away from Rosemary and your boys shows you are truly a man of immense character.

Its with great pride that we honour both yourself and Rosemary, your boys, and your entire extended family tonight.

The last remaining question is how were they able to arrive at such a decision?

The answer lies not with Oliver and Rosemary but with Doujon himself. It was his decision.

The fact is that the Zammit family had had a discussion about organ and tissue donation just six months before Doujon departed on his fantastic trip.

Doujon had made it clear that this would be his wish.

In this circumstance how could Oliver not have respected this?

Doujon’s decision allowed a number of other people to live. However his legacy, and that of the Zammits, is far greater.

They have the ability to convince all Australians of the importance in having that conversation. Let your loved ones know of your decision and then make sure that decision is recorded on the Australian Organ Donor Register.

This is the theme of this year’s Organ Donor Awareness Week which commences nationally tomorrow.

Many lives depend on your family having that conversation.

There are currently more than 1,700 people waiting urgently for a transplant. More than one life a week is lost waiting.

Their only hope is that one day a kind family will have the strength and courage to be able to see the good that can emerge from their loss.

And from this heartache can emerge a new beginning for someone else.

Transplantation is truly an amazing medical advance.

In Australia we have the technology, brilliant surgeons, wonderful and caring nurses and organ donor co-ordinators.

But all of that is potentially wasted without your support and the support of all Australians.

To the Zammits, thank you for your inspiration, your leadership. To all other Australian families, we know what we have to do…

Thank you.