A key outcome of our work at Transplant Australia is to connect recipients so everyone can better understand their own journey. While it is difficult to gauge and measure the positive outcomes associated with this connection, the benefits were clearly on show this week as eight-year-old Mila Pincius caught up with Bella Dyer at the Lunch at the Parliament of Tasmania.
To think that Bella was once a young kid participating in the 2014 Games in Melbourne and is now a vibrant and outgoing 23-year-old working in Launceston, gives Mila and her parents, Cameron and Nicole, much positive energy as Mila prepares for her first Games.
Mila’s comment to Mum Nicola: Mum, I can’t believe so many people wanted to meet me today, I felt a bit famous!’
“Being involved and having the privilege of sharing Mila’s journey is, at times, incredibly hard, but also deeply liberating. Knowing that she has survived something of this magnitude and is here to share her story is truly unfathomable.
We’ve become so incredibly thankful for every milestone we’ve been lucky enough to experience, and even more excited for all the milestones still to come. Mila says that meeting Bella was such a highlight for her. Knowing that Bella has had 18 good years with her transplanted liver has given us so much hope that, one day, we might be lucky enough to have the same.
It’s a reminder of just how precious every day and every milestone really is.”
Nicola Browning, Mila’s mum.
Transplant Australia hosted the special lunch at the Parliament of Tasmania on August 11 to promote the Australian Games and promote the gift of life to Tasmanians.
We were fortunate to be joined by both the Events Minister Roger Jaensch and Health Minister Bridget Archer while Deputy Premier Guy Barnett attended to meet liver recipient Bella Dyer.
Donor family representative Michele Polley spoke beautifully about the gift her son, Aaron, gave to others while Bella and David Whiteman spoke of their enthusiasm for the Games.
It was so wonderful to see so many aspects of the Games represented at Parliament – from donor families, living donors, recipients, those waiting, health care professionals, sponsors, stakeholders and suppliers – all there to meet the 15 or so MPs who attended.
A key outcome of the games is to lift the profile of organ and tissue donation in the games home state and here the event excelled. The following day we made the front page of the Hobart Mercury with the beautiful story of Mila while Channels 7 and WIN covered the event comprehensively that night. Our CEO, Chris Thomas, also conducted an interview with ABC Drive.
Thanks to Astellas for its support of the launch and to David Cain for attending. Astellas has been a long-time supporter of Transplant Australia and the Games.
Thanks also to the Organ & Tissue Authority and DonateLife Tasmania, Events Tasmania and the City of Launceston.
Remember there is still time to register for the DonateLife Fun Run and other activities while we are also looking for volunteers.
