IT’S no accident DonateLifeWeek brochures come with a ‘‘Let’s Talk’’ heading.
Simply, it’s talk that explains organ donation and dilutes fear, particularly in cultures where the thought of signing away your liver, lungs, heart or kidneys is too horrific to contemplate.
Having gone through the unthinkable — the death of a child — Oliver Zammit is one of those people always ready to raise awareness.
The Zammits, originally a family of five, all signed up to be donors if any of them should die.
Seven years ago the eldest of Oliver and Rosemarie’s three sons died. Doujon, 20, was bashed by a bouncer outside a nightclub in Greece where he was holidaying with his cousin.
Brain-dead in an Athens hospital and with the word donor on his licence, Doujon was an ideal organ donor. All the Zammits had to do was agree to switch off his life support.
‘‘Nothing compensates for the loss of a child but Doujon’s legacy is the difference he made to the lives of others,’’ Mr Zammit said.
The Zammits have met three of the four recipients of their son’s organs.
In fact, Mr Zammit was the best man at the heart recipient’s wedding.
‘‘When Doujon was bashed Costa, then 36, virtually had a day to live,’’ he said. ‘‘He had already said his goodbyes and was in hospital watching Doujon’s story on TV.
‘‘It was a very public story — he heard us say we’d donate our son’s organs but he never applied the story to himself.’’
Until the doctor came to tell him they had a heart for him.
Costa, an Australian Greek, has returned to Sydney.
Mr Zammit said because of the publicity surrounding Doujon’s death, donation rates in Greece skyrocketed: ‘‘The public took notice. We don’t need our organs when we pass away. They’ll just rot. But a lot of good comes from donating them.’’
ALL WELCOME
Learn more about organ donation at a DonateLife Week community awareness event on Sunday, August 2, 10am to 2pm, at Rockdale Town Hall.
