2-Minute Read
18 September 2025
We’re shining a light on tissue donation, and we want all Victorians to register as tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life.
We are proud supporters of both organ and tissue donation, But we’d like to take a moment to shine a light on tissue donation in particular, and the work of the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria.
Spotlight on Tissue Donation
Did you know that one single eye and tissue donor could change the life of up to one hundred Australians?
In fact, many thousands of Australian lives are changed every year through the gift of donated tissues. Last year, 2,630 Australians received the gift of sight through a corneal transplant. An additional 8,192 people received tissue transplants. We thank all the living and deceased donors who gave the life-changing gift of donation.
Compared to organ donation, many more people can become eye and tissue donors. You don’t have to die in hospital to be considered for eye and tissue donation, and donation can occur up to 24 hours after death. Tissue retrieval occurs in a specialist donation suite similar to an operating theatre.
Tissue donation transforms lives in many ways. This includes saving burns victims, restoring sight, repairing heart abnormalities in babies and adults, rebuilding tendons and reconstructing bones.
Tissue that can be donated:
Specialist support staff such as the nurses at the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria, will discuss which tissues a deceased person may be able to donate with the donor family. This will depend on the person’s age, medical history, and the circumstances of their death. The family will be asked to confirm which tissues they agree to be donated. They will later be asked to sign a consent form detailing this information.
Did you know?
ℹ️During end-of-life care, the medical team and donation specialists will discuss the options with your family. Care, dignity and respect are always maintained.
ℹ️ Donation specialist staff, such as the nursing team at Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria, keep in contact with your family and provide support and information.
ℹ️Skin donation isn’t just life-changing, it’s a life-saving donation. Around 50% of patients with large burns require donated skin to survive their injuries.
ℹ️ Bone tissue is the most transplanted tissue in Australia. Long bone tissues can be used to replace those destroyed by cancer, while smaller sections of bones can be milled and used to fill areas where bone has been lost e.g. in the spine.
ℹ️ Tissue donation is treated like all surgeries, with surgical incisions closed and dressed with dignity and respect. Families are still able to have an open-casket funeral after tissue donation.
ℹ️ Donor age is not that important – most eye donors are in their 70s. Eye donors can have any eye colour, blood type or level of eyesight.
Forever Grateful
Tissue transplantation has a profound impact on recipients and their families, long after the transplant, as they strive to honour the legacy of the life-giving gift. Melissa is a forever grateful mother of an 11 year old boy who received a bone tissue donation which turned his life around. She has been kind enough to share her and Levi’s journey with us and through an anonymous letter to the donor family:
The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria
Established in 1989 and part of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria (DTBV) was the first multi-tissue bank in Australasia. It screens, processes, stores, tests and distributes multiple types of tissue from the one facility.
We are a tissue ‘bank‘ because donated tissues can be stored at our site for a number of years, unlike donated organs which have to be transplanted almost immediately. We adhere to strict quality standards and regulatory guidelines to ensure the safety and integrity of the donated tissues. We provide Australian surgeons with safe tissue grafts for transplantation in many areas of orthopaedic, cardiothoracic, reconstructive surgery and burn care, benefitting many patients every year.
How Tissue Donation works
In 2025, we want all Australians to register as organ and tissue donors and be the reason someone else gets a second chance at life.
Help us spread the word about organ and tissue donation by starting the conversations with friends, family and your community.
Registering is easy. It takes less than one minute. https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today
Your decision could save lives and provide a lasting impact. Remember to share your wishes with your family when you register to be a organ and tissue donor. Together, we can make a difference.
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About DonateLife: The Organ and Tissue Authority (OTA), on behalf of the Australian Government, leads the national DonateLife program to increase organ and tissue donation and transplantation in partnership with the DonateLife Network, state and territory governments, the donation and transplantation sectors, the eye and tissue sectors, hospitals, community organisations and the public.
About The VIFM and the Australian Organ Donor Register: The donor register is run by Service Australia under the guidance of the Organ and Tissue Authority (OTA), which manages the national registry to record a person’s organ and tissue donation decision. The VIFM participates in donor awareness campaigns every year – including DonateLife Week, Jersey Day and Spotlight on Eye and Tissue Donation – to encourage more Australians to sign up to the registry.