Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria

01/08/2025

Today, and with mum Ann's blessing, we are so proud to be able to share this picture of her son Tom, who was a tissue donor. Amidst the devastation of losing Tom - who was such a special part of their family, Ann takes great pride in knowing that through his tissue donation he continues to help others. For the family, it's like a rainbow moment on a cloudy day.

It’s almost the end of DonateLife Week 2025, and we do hope that the stories of Tom and Levi that we've shared encourage more Australians to register as organ and tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life.

We know that 4 in 5 Australians say they support donation, but only 1 in 3 are registered to be a donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR).

Registering is easy. It takes less than one minute.
https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

31/07/2025

Ann didn't even know of some of the beautiful things her son Tom had done until he’d passed, but she always knew how much he loved helping people – so tissue donation was not a difficult decision for them to make - it was a reflection of the way Tom lived.

Read Ann's tribute letter to Tom and his legacy ❤️

"After Tom's sudden and unexpected death we didn't want this tragedy to overwhelm us - we wanted something good to come out of his life and death. Tom loved life and we felt he would have been really happy knowing that other people had their lives enhanced by his gift- that other people have the opportunity to love life the way Tom did."

"Tom was the 4th of 11 children (7 boys/4 girls). He was a horticulturist with an amazing work ethic. He was very driven, everything (except his bedroom) had to be done just right!!!"

"He loved helping people, online gaming and his great passion was marathon running. He was extremely strong and fit as well as a very private person - we didn't even know of some of the beautiful things he had done til after his death!"

"Amidst the devastation of losing such a special part of our family there is great pride that he continues to help others. It's like a rainbow moment on a cloudy day."

It’s DonateLife Week 2025, and we want all Australians to register as organ and tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life.

We know that 4 in 5 Australians say they support donation, but only 1 in 3 are registered to be a donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR).

Registering is easy. It takes less than one minute.
https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

29/07/2025

As an 11 year old boy, Levi received a bone tissue donation which turned his life around. His mum Melissa will be forever grateful to the donor family and cherishes the role they played in Levi’s journey with them, and their decision to donate.

It’s DonateLife Week 2025, and the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria wants all Australians to register as organ and tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life, just like Levi.

We know that 4 in 5 Australians say they support donation, but only 1 in 3 are registered to be a donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR).

Registering is easy. It takes less than one minute.
https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

28/07/2025

Melissa is mum to Levi, an 11 year old boy who received a bone tissue donation which has turned his life around. She will be forever grateful to the donor family and cherishes the role they played in Levi’s journey and their decision to donate.

It’s DonateLife Week 2025, and the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria would like all Australians to register as organ and tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life, just like Levi.

We know that 4 in 5 Australians say they support donation, but only 1 in 3 are registered to be a donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR).

Registering is easy. It takes less than one minute.
https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

27/07/2025

DonateLife Week 2025 is here – and it’s the perfect time to register to be an organ and tissue donor!

The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria wants all Australians to register as organ and tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life.

We know that 4 in 5 Australians say they support donation, but only 1 in 3 are registered to be a donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR).

Registering is easy. It takes less than one minute.
https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

26/07/2025

It's DonateLife Week 2025 and we want to encourage you to take a minute to discuss organ and tissue donation with your family!

The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria wants all Australians to register as organ and tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life.

We know that 4 in 5 Australians say they support donation, but only 1 in 3 are registered to be a donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR).

Registering is easy. It takes less than one minute:
https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

28/05/2025

On Saturday 24th May DTBV celebrated Leaf Day. Leaf Day is centered around the Tree of Life; a Tree bearing the first name of each tissue donor over the last 12 months. The Tree of Life symbolises the vast contribution made by tissue donors and their families through the precious gift of tissue donation.

21/05/2025

This Saturday 24th May at 2pm is DTBV Leaf Day. On Leaf Day, we honour the generosity of our tissue donors and their families.
Leaf Day is centred around our Tree of Life. At the beginning of winter the Tree of Life has no foliage, but as the seasons pass leaves bearing the first name of each donor are attached. By autumn the tree is full of donor leaves reflecting the vast contribution donors and their families have made through the precious gift of tissue donation. If you would like to attend our Leaf Day service, please get in touch with us on (03) 9684 4706.

17/04/2025

Happy Easter from the DTBV. For more information on tissue donation please visit www.dtbv.org.au or www.donatelife.gov.au

23/01/2025

Read below as ABC News covers the role of bone and tissue donations in transplantation and the current challenges ⬇️⬇️

Bone is the most transplanted tissue after blood but bone banks are constantly short of donors, with only 10 per cent of people who have hip replacements opting-in to donate.

07/01/2025

Do you know which organs and tissues can be donated for transplantation in Australia? 🤔

Kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, pancreas and even intestines can all be donated. And when it comes to tissue, there are even more possibilities: cardiovascular tissue, musculoskeletal tissue, skin, pancreas islets, and parts of the eye such as the cornea and sclera.

You can choose if you’d like to donate all or just some of your organs and tissue via Medicare, after you’ve registered. Want to find out more and register as an organ and tissue donor? Visit https://www.donatelife.gov.au/ ✅

20/11/2024

The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria warmly invites donor families, recipients, and the community to join us on Saturday, 23 November, at 2:00 PM at Collingwood Town Hall.

This annual service provides an opportunity to honour and remember those who have generously given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.

We look forward to welcoming you as we reflect on their extraordinary contributions and the lives they have transformed.