Kidney recipient is keen to help others

For Manjimup-born Andrea Moore, a kidney transplant saved her life on two occasions and she has now become an organ donor herself to help save the lives of others.

Her kidneys failed when she was seven months old and then after 14 months on dialysis her father donated his to her, which lasted 16 years.

At the age of 19 she received her second transplant, this time from her sister, after another two and a half years on dialysis.

“The second transplant improved my life drastically, I do not really remember my first time on dialysis because I was so young so the second time seemed like my first,” she said.

“My grades dropped so much in school, I was not able to stay awake most of the day, I tried running and became physically sick, it just was not fun.”

Ms Moore said after experiencing the way organ donation had improved her life, she had become an organ donor herself.

“I have now become a donor myself,” she said. “Becoming an organ donor is not difficult to do and it is not painful or going to cost any money.”

“My family just considers it a way to help people who have been struggling with chronic illness their whole life.”

Now 22, Ms Moore is studying pharmacy at Curtin University and said she was grateful.

She encouraged people to become organ donors themselves by signing up online.

“There is a short questionnaire you take, it does not take long at all and it can help save a life,” she said.

In 2018, 238 living donors saved lives by donating a kidney and the living donors accounted for 30 per cent of all organ donors.

A further 554 deceased donors, brought total donors to 792.