National Kidney Month

Have the conversation today about organ and tissue donation.

Any time is a good time to talk about organ and tissue donation with family, whanau, friends and colleagues.

March is National Kidney month with World Kidney Day being celebrated on March 9th. There is no better time than right now to spark a conversation about organ donation and the impact that this could have on someone dependant on kidney dialysis or in need of a transplant.

Organ donation is life saving for transplant recipients. Kidney transplantation dramatically improves the quality of life for many recipients like Anna Maharaj who shares her inspiring transplant journey.

In the event of your death, organ and tissue donation may be possible. Your family and whanau will be given the opportunity to discuss donation, and to make an informed decision. Knowing your wishes prior to death helps make the donation decision easier for family and whanau at a very emotional and difficult time.

To help with your decision click here. There are resources you can use as a guide to learn more about organ donation and to make a decision that is right for you.

Think about your donation

Most of us don’t know when we’re going to die and it could happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Thinking now about whether you would want to be a donor, and having a conversation with your family/whānau, will mean that in the event of your death, they will know what is right for you.

Discuss and decide

Discuss your thoughts with those people who would be at your bedside if you were dying. Would you want to be a donor? If yes, which organs and tissues would you choose to donate?

Share your thoughts

Have the conversation with your wider family or whānau – this may be your partner, brothers and sisters, parents, children or close friends. Let them know your thoughts on organ and tissue donation and find out what they would want to happen in the event of their death.

If you have any further questions about organ donation, you can read our FAQ’s here.