Defence

Work Life

The gift of life

Organ donation has the power to change - and save - lives. Nick Farley tells his story...

Nick Farley.
Photo by CPL Craig Eager

In 1993 I was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy and by August 1994, my condition had deteriorated to end stage renal failure and I had commenced haemodialysis.

On the Easter weekend of 1995, I went for my first holiday where I would dialyse away from my home/treating hospital. I was staying at a holiday flat in East Gippsland without any phone connected. Although I had borrowed a mobile phone (the size of a brick!) for the weekend, it didn't work. I was on the transplant waiting list and effectively I was 'uncontactable'.

I had dialysis at the Latrobe Regional Hospital on the Saturday and I clearly recall the nurse saying to me, "Sadly, Easter is a time when there are accidents on the road and organs become available".

On Monday 17 April, after having a kick of a footy with friends, we headed back to our holiday flat to discuss options for lunch. We agreed to take the boat to the Metung pub for a counter lunch. Moments before setting off, my girlfriend's mother suggested we should pop the cork from a bottle of champagne. It seemed strange to have a bottle of champagne before going out for lunch but we didn't complain!

Still enjoying the champagne, eyebrows were raised at the appearance of a police 'divvy van' at our remote and tranquil location. Heading in our direction, the police asked if I was among the throng. By this stage I was having heart palpitations and in the back of my mind, I was hoping for a miracle. The officer asked me how long I intended to stay on holiday and I told him, "As long as I can - unless I get a better offer!" He then broke the amazing news that the hospital had a kidney for me and needed me there as soon as possible.

Time was of the essence. It was nearly 1pm and I needed to be in Melbourne by 5pm. And it was Easter Monday - the roads would be chaos! But the police were on hand to take charge of the situation. They drove - sped - my girlfriend and I to Bairnsdale airfield. Police 'divvy vans' (paddy wagons), for the uninitiated, are basically a tin box with seat belts - but boy, do they do move! At Bairnsdale we boarded an Air Ambulance helicopter for a special, and at times turbulent, journey to Royal Park.

At the Royal Melbourne Hospital I dialysed for the last time. Later that night I was wheeled down the corridor to the operating theatre, a small, battered polystyrene esky balanced on my lap. Within that esky was not, as you might ordinarily expect, a six-pack of beer. Instead, that esky contained the ultimate gift that words can't even begin to describe. It was my gift of life.

I woke up plugged into a myriad of tubes and machines. It was a new beginning. The operation was a success and I was well enough to leave the hospital a week later. I later found out that only a twin brother could have provided me with a better-matched kidney.

To back track a little, thankfully on that Easter Monday my mother had decided to drop in to my house to do some ironing while I was away, so she took the initial call from the hospital. It seems fitting that the one to give me life took the call that ultimately saved my life. My mother immediately called my sister, who in turn called the police for help with the situation. Fortunately the police were able to assist - above and beyond the call of duty!

The final twist in the story - the champagne. If we hadn't popped the cork on that bottle before heading to lunch, we would have been out in the boat and the police would have had no option but to advise the hospital that they couldn't contact me. The kidney would no doubt have gone to an equally appreciative and grateful recipient, however I can't be sure I would be here today. I still have that bottle - empty of champagne but full of meaning. It has pride of place in my wall unit at home.

And to the moral of the story...

This life changing event, and the very fact that I am still here to talk about it, would not have happened without the consent of a very special person to organ donation. This most generous gift of life has enabled me to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle. To my donor family, I am and always will be deeply and eternally grateful. In January this year I wrote to thank my donor's family and recently received a beautiful reply. I intend to remain in contact with my donor mother long into the future. To the people who played the various important roles involved in organ donation and transplantation - from the Organ Donation Coordinators, the police and ambulance officers, to the surgeons, nurses and social workers - I am here because of you. It may just be 'all in a day's work' for these professionals, but 10 years on their 'day's work' has had a wonderful, lasting impact on my life. I appreciate that work now every bit as much as I did then.

In this, the 10-year anniversary of my transplant, I want to do my bit to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation by sharing my story with you. By raising the profile of and awareness about the critical nature of organ donation, I am hopeful that waiting lists will become a thing of the past. With only one quarter of Australia's population currently listed on the Australian Organ Donor Register, there is great potential to significantly increase the number of names on the register. It is interesting to note that among Western nations, Australia has a comparatively low rate of organ donation, yet a very high rate of transplant success. Bridging the gap between the two is the primary challenge.

Nick Farley works in Personnel Strategy in DPE.

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