2 October 2019: Organised by donor families, for donor families and donation recipients, the Donor Families Australia (DFA) 2019 conference is a global first, held on 4 and 5 October (Friday and Saturday) at the University of Canberra’s Ann Harding Centre.
Themed Breaking Boundaries: Building Relationships of Hope in Organ and Tissue Donations and Transplantation, the conference will provide a meaningful, multi-faceted approach and a unique opportunity to hear from both donors and recipients, as well as health professionals and experts.
Donor Families Australia chairperson Bruce McDowell said that this was DFA’s first conference, brought about by the need for donor families to have a voice in the conversation with government, policymakers and the community.
“Organ and tissue donation is a wonderful thing to do, that saves lives – and it is 100% dependent on the generosity of the community,” Mr McDowell said. “We believe in saving as many lives as possible through donation, which makes community engagement – at all levels – very crucial.”
“This truly unique, grassroots-led conference will address a myriad issues around organ and tissue donation, including the barriers to it,” said Dr Holly Northam, also a conference organiser and the head of the Discipline of Nursing at the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health.
These issues include end-of-life care, community engagement and knowledge of what donation entails, the impact of donation on families, and the support available before and after the donation process.
Dr Northam says that every aspect of the conference has come from the heart – but is strongly rooted in evidence and research.
“Australia could be – and should be – a world leader in organ and tissue donation,” Dr Northam said. “But some of the main barriers to this exist in the relationships between health providers and the community. We hope that the conference will build bridges and broach understanding – and that’s why it is crucial to hear from the people who have made the decision to donate.”
The second day of the conference will see the release of the Donor Families Australia Research Report from Dr Northam and her collaborators.
On the same day, conference participants will attend a tree-planting ceremony on the University campus, tying leaf-shaped cards bearing the names of donors and recipients to the branches.
Former opera singer and current Australian Outdoor and Indoor blind archery champion and record holder Janelle Colquhon – herself a transplant recipient – will also perform at the conference.
For the full conference program, please click here.
WHAT: Media interview opportunities with donor families and recipients/conference organisers (see next page for details)
WHEN: 10am, Thursday 3 October 2019
WHERE: Ngaladjima (Ngunnawal Plant Use Education Space, next to Building 8), University of Canberra (campus map)
Contact the University of Canberra media team:
Suzanne Lazaroo, Communications Officer
0409 140 415 | Suzanne.Lazaroo@canberra.edu.au
Katarina Slavich, Media Officer
0408 826 362 | Katarina.Slavich@canberra.edu.au