Rural Health Minister Fiona Nash announced the move to an online registration system ­earlier this month.

As it stands, registration involves filling out a form and this has led to fewer donors. 

Morpeth mother and organ donor Sally O’Sullivan has welcomed the change in the hope that it will save lives.

“If it means it will increase the donation rate and it makes a difference, then I am all for it,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

The O’Sullivan family has supported organ donation since the birth of their son Charlie seven years ago.

When Charlie was just three weeks old he was found to have an obstructed urethral valve.

He desperately needed a kidney transplant and Sally was quick to volunteer to donate.

Charlie was just 16 months old when he had the successful transplant, which made him one of Australia’s youngest kidney recipients.

“Once people find out about Charlie they always say ‘you were so lucky to get an organ donor’,” she said.

“When they find out that I am a living donor they find it fascinating.

“They ask what was it like? 

“What was the recovery like? 

“How has it affected your health?

“My life is no different now because I was a donor and Charlie is doing fantastically.”

Just 7 per cent of Australians are registered organ donors, which equates to 1.8 million people. 

A further 4.3 million have at some stage flagged their intention to become a donor, but have not completed the paperwork required under the current system.

“There is not enough discussion about organ donation,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

“There needs to be more done to increase registrations.”

In the Hunter last year there were more than 40 people on the waiting list for organs, especially kidneys.

Nationwide there are 1600 people on the waiting list for an organ at any given time and, on average, 50 of these people die before a donor organ becomes available.

The online registration ­system will be available from May.

For more information visit www.donatelife.gov.au/decide.

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