A Sunshine Coast man who received a second chance at life thanks to an organ donor is encouraging others to register and give the gift of life this Christmas.
It comes as the number of Australian organ donors remains 25 per cent lower than pre-pandemic figures.
Nathan Pain, 27, of Beerwah, was diagnosed with viral-induced cardiomyopathy in 2017 and was kept alive by a heart-assist device from 2019 until undergoing a heart transplant during 2020.
He said he was lucky to be alive and gave thanks to his organ donor.
“To those people who are still sitting on the fence about donation, I’d encourage you to sign up for sure, without a doubt,” Mr Pain said.
“It’s changed my life in a crazy way and at any given point in Australia there are 18,000 Australians on the list waiting for an organ transplant.”
DonateLife Queensland report another 13,000 people are undergoing dialysis and could also benefit from a kidney transplant.
Mr Pain says Christmas time can be difficult for people waiting for a match and for families dealing with the loss of a loved one.
“Hug your loved ones and be grateful for the time you have together, and have the hard conversations about your final wishes regarding donation,” he said.
Some unexpected news
A keen surfer, mountain climber and traveller, Mr Pain said he first knew something was not right was when he started gasping for breath and experiencing chest pain during a trip to the Philippines last decade.
He was diagnosed in 2017 and told by doctors he would need a heart transplant in two years.
Mr Pain continued to live a normal life until tragedy struck.
“One day I was out surfing and had a massive cardiac arrest,” he said.
“My wife and some mates were all on the beach and I was just face down on my board. I have no recollection of what happened.”
A woman surfing nearby signalled to one of his mates and Mr Pain was brought back to shore, before being airlifted to the Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane and being told he needed a transplant.
To buy time, a heart pump called a left ventricular assist device was sewn into Mr Pain’s chest, and an external wire attached to a battery pack.
“It was very difficult to wear, and I felt like a bit of freak show at the shops,” he said.
What followed was an “anxious and worrying” wait that ended one year later.
A bittersweet experience
Mr Pain recalled that his parents were frantic as they prepared to leave for the hospital ahead of the transplant in 2020, but said he was thinking of the family who was at that time grieving their loss.
“On the other end of this, a family has just gone through a massive loss — that sort of hit me pretty hard in that moment,” he said.
The reality of what transpired remains with Mr Pain today.
“You’re lying there with someone else’s loved one’s heart beating inside you … it’s bittersweet.
“It’s a time of grief for another family but such a light of hope for me and my family.”
Mr Pain has returned to working full-time, surfing and adventuring. In his spare time he encourages people to register.
“I have a life again, thanks to another family who, regardless of their loss, supported organ donation,” he said.
An opportunity to give thanks
Mr Pain recently supported the annual Service of Remembrance to commemorate the generosity of organ donors and their families.
“A lot of the transplant journey can be quite contactless with the donation side of things,” he said.
“To hear people share their stories about their loved ones who died and gave the gift of life, reminds me of how fortunate I have been.
“To see two kids and a mum walk up and light a candle and to think about who’s missing in that picture … it’s hard to watch.
“But it’s good to be reminded where I’ve come from and that important, ‘Thank you’ to donor families.”
A lasting legacy
Mr Pain’s message this Christmas was echoed by DonateLife Queensland, which has issued its final call for 2022 for people to register as organ and tissue donors.
“With many seeing their family during this time, it’s a perfect opportunity to not only register, but to also let your family know that you want to be a donor,” state manager Tina Coco said.
Ms Coco says when a person is known to be registered, their families provide consent to donation in 90 per cent of cases.
“This drops to just 40 per cent if the patient isn’t registered and hasn’t discussed their decision with loved ones.”
Anyone over the age of 16 can register regardless of their medical history, their lifestyle or if they’ve had COVID-19, says Ms Coco.
“It takes just three taps on your Medicare App to register, or one minute online at donatelife.gov.au.”