EVERY year on the anniversary of her liver transplant, Doreen Cheong says a prayer for the family brave enough to donate the organs of their loved one at a most traumatic time.
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So far, that liver has given her 13 years of life she would not have otherwise had.
Mrs Cheong, a former St George resident, will be in Hurstville this Saturday to raise community awareness for organ and tissue donation, particularly among Asian and other culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
"Chinese people don't like to talk about death, let alone have a conversation about donating their organs," the fourth generation Chinese-Australian said.
"I'd like to think that if I'm telling my story they'd be more prepared to start a conversation with their family and perhaps donate."
Mrs Cheong, 74, was in her early 50s when diagnosed with a rare liver disease.
"My liver was dying off and the only way to stay on this side of life was to have a liver transplant," she said.
Doctors kept her going with medication as long as possible but by the time Mrs Cheong was almost 60 she was approaching the last stages of her disease.
She was placed on the "activated" waiting list and told a call could come the next day or be many months away.
By the time a suitable liver became available nine months later she was a horrible yellow/green colour and her family and friends thought she did not have long to live.
Mrs Cheong's family realised the only way she would continue to live was if she had a transplant.
At 61, she received a new liver which stabilised relatively quickly.
"I have a guardian angel," she said.
"I received the greatest gift of all because some generous family allowed an organ to be taken out of a loved one."
Asian Australian Community Services organised the awareness session this Saturday.
Its president Mikall Chong said the sessions were achieving great results as part of a national program funded by the Organ and Tissue Authority.
"In the past five years since the program has started, there has been a 53 per cent increase in organ and tissue donations," he said.
"Last year 1117 Australians received an organ transplant as a result of the generosity of organ donors."
The information session on organ and tissue donation will be held 2pm to 4pm at Hurstville Entertainment Centre, 16 MacMahon Street.