A Tweed woman who spent five years undergoing dialysis has returned to thank the clinicians who cared for her after receiving a kidney transplant that transformed her life.
For five years, Eve Martin attended the former Tweed Hospital three times a week for renal dialysis after developing kidney failure.
That changed two years ago when she received a donated kidney after being transferred to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane for an emergency transplant.
This month, Martin returned to the renal dialysis unit at Tweed Valley Hospital to reunite with the specialist nurses who supported her throughout her treatment.
“I woke up from my transplant and on the first day felt almost no pain, I was filled with joy,” Martin said.
“I cannot speak highly enough of the staff who cared for me. I was surrounded by nurses so sweet and efficient and doctors who made me feel wonderful. I’m living the dream now. My surgery was a total success, and I urge everyone to register to become an organ and tissue donor.”
Martin is supporting DonateLife Week (Sunday, 26 July, to Sunday, 2 August), joining clinicians across Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) in encouraging more people to register as organ and tissue donors.
Community information stalls will be held during the week at Tweed Valley Hospital, Lismore Base Hospital and Grafton Base Hospital.
Dr Michael Lindley-Jones, who leads NNSWLHD’s organ donation team with Organ Donation Clinical Nurse Consultant Howard Clare, said DonateLife Week was an important opportunity to encourage people to register and discuss their decision with their family.
“We are very proud that registration rates across Northern NSW sit well above the state and national averages,” Dr Lindley-Jones said.
“Ballina has one of the highest organ donation registration rates in the state, sitting at 60 per cent, behind only Bellingen and the Blue Mountains. Every local government area in our District has at least half its eligible residents registered, compared to 41 per cent across NSW and 35 per cent nationally. Close to 139,000 people across Northern NSW have made their decision known.
“What concerns me is the direction of new registrations, across our District they fell 21 per cent last year, in line with the drop right across NSW. Continuing to grow the number of people on the Australian Organ Donor Register is really important, as well as encouraging people to talk to their family about their registration decision.”
Dr Lindley-Jones said successful organ donation depended on the commitment of staff across the District.
“Organ donation requires significant mobilisation of staff and emotional resources, and without the dedication of our staff we wouldn’t have the success we do,” Dr Lindley-Jones said.
“NNSWLHD is renowned for its support of the Australian donation program and for the inclusivity and hospitality shown to our visiting partners and we’d like to thank everyone involved in making donation possible in our community.”
Despite Northern NSW recording organ donor registration rates above the state and national averages, demand for transplants remains high. Organ donation is only possible in a small proportion of hospital deaths, with around 2 per cent occurring in the specific clinical circumstances where donation can proceed.
Around 2,000 Australians are on the transplant waiting list, while a further 14,000 people are receiving dialysis. More than 50 people die each year while waiting for a transplant.
Throughout DonateLife Week, landmarks across NSW will be illuminated in DonateLife magenta, including Twin Towns Services Club at Tweed Heads and the Grafton Clock Tower.
NSW Health is also partnering with Service NSW to promote organ donor registration through the MyServiceNSW app, service centre screens and other Service NSW channels.
People can register on the Australian Organ Donor Register in about one minute at donatelife.gov.au using a Medicare card or through the MyServiceNSW app.
Australian Organ Donor Register participation among eligible residents aged 16 years and over (2025):
- Ballina – 60% (third highest in NSW, behind Bellingen and the Blue Mountains)
- Kyogle – 58%
- Byron – 57%
- Clarence Valley – 57%
- Lismore – 57%
- Tweed – 53%
- Richmond Valley – 50%
- NSW – 41%
- Australia – 35%
Source: Organ and Tissue Authority 2025 Australian donation and transplantation data release; Services Australia (AODR); Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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