Organ donation gave son best shot at life

THE only thing Ross Veivers knows about his kidney is it came from a young man and that without the transplant, he wouldn’t be alive.

He’s grateful to the kind stranger who registered his willingness to donate his organs, but has never tried to track down his family.

Mr Veiver’s mother Gloria Bradford takes a more spiritual view of it.

“It’s sad that someone has to lose a life to give someone else a life,” she says.

“I have a feeling it’s a young man who Ross got his kidney from and I’m sure he is up there taking care of this bloke because there is no way he can go through what he has gone through and still remain sane, willing to live life to the best of his ability and also being able to drive those long distances.

“I just think more people need to hear these stories so they are willing to donate.

“There is no way he would have had a life if he had been sitting on a dialysis machine.”

In 2017, the number of transplant recipients from deceased organ donors under the national program since system reforms began in 2009 passed the 10,000 mark.

The transplants came from 3464 deceased organ donors and their families.

That’s a number Mrs Bradford wants to see increase to help save lives.

Instant online organ donor registration is available on the DonateLife website.