Kay Hull (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in favour of the motion moved by the member for Capricornia concerning the low rate of organ donation in Australia, and commend her for putting this motion before the House.

Today, I want to pay particular tribute to a special organ donor from my electorate of Riverina. In February, the life of a vivacious and greatly loved young woman by the name of Tina Elliott, who was just 20 years of age, was tragically cut short. Tina and her family are from Griffith, and Tina attended the Griffith North Public School and then went on to Griffith High School. Tina was a keen art student and she was always willing to help out in the community. She was involved in Meals on Wheels, and you could see Tina marching proudly at Anzac Day services. She was tragically killed in a car accident near Griffith.

Tina touched so many people in her life—so much so that in the 2004 Australia Day awards Tina was nominated for the Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year Award for her tireless work as an executive member of the Creative Riverina Youth Team. As I said, Tina’s life was tragically cut short by a car accident, and after she passed away she saved lives through her organ donation. Her parents, Ross and Cathie Elliott, and her brother Michael, decided to donate Tina’s organs, and five people’s lives were saved by receiving these organs.

After receiving a call advising the family that the successful transplants of Tina’s lungs, kidney, pancreas, liver and heart valves had been performed, Mr Elliott was quoted as saying, ‘She touched the lives of so many—it puts me at peace to know she is saving lives and still touching lives this way.’ It was so wonderful to know that Tina had been able to make a difference to so many people’s lives through this gift. It is also wonderful that Tina’s parents and her brother Michael were able to make the decision to donate Tina’s organs at such a tragic time. So I pay great tribute to Tina’s family and to Tina on the life that she led and the life that she has given other people by way of this very generous gift.

We also need to consider the option of our live organ donation scheme. I have the great honour of knowing a lovely young couple in my electorate who have just moved to Queensland. Alan has been struggling with kidney failure for many years and has daily dialysis. He was scheduled for a kidney transplant late last year, from a live organ donor from another state. He was actually scheduled to have his kidney transplant on Melbourne Cup Day last year. Just prior to that, he became very ill, and his transplant operation had to be put off. Alan and Kimberley would love to have children, and it may just be possible when Alan is well enough, because a warm-hearted person is prepared to donate a kidney to Alan so that he and Kimberley may have a life that is normal and, hopefully, a life that is going to be blessed with children in the future.

We sometimes find it difficult as families to prepare ourselves for and give consent to organ donations. That is why I ask that people consider making submissions regarding the two draft documents that are currently on display and that deal with organ and tissue donation by living donors. There is the opportunity to make submissions on Organ and tissue donation by living donors: ethical guidelines for health professionals, and on Making a decision about living organ and tissue donation. The closing date for these submissions is Monday, 2 October, and I urge all people to consider making a submission in order to understand how this process really works. Organ donation is something that the Australian people need to embrace in a more enthusiastic way, simply because there is so much that can be achieved for so many if we are able to donate these organs and give up the use of them in our day-to-day lives. It is very important that we consider living organ donations.

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