AFTER receiving a kidney transplant in 2022, Carrum Downs resident Kaitlyn Steavenson is gearing up to compete at the Australian Transplant Games.
Steavenson spent nearly 15 years on dialysis before receiving a transplant. She said that prior to her procedure that “life had become about survival rather than living.”
“I needed to sleep all the time. I hardly had a life – I was just existing,” she said.
The upcoming Transplant Games in Launceston will be Steavenson’s second. She came away from her first event in 2024 with eight medals.
“My best memories were participating, making new friends and experiencing the incredible community spirit,” Steavenson said.
Stories like Steavenson’s shine a light on the importance of organ donation. Currently just 28 percent of residents in the Frankston municipality and 35 percent living on the Mornington Peninsula are registered as organ and tissue donors.
DonateLife Victoria state medical director Dr Rohit D’Costa said “a recent community survey shows 90 percent of Victorians support organ donation, but less than one quarter have registered to be a donor.”
‘It doesn’t matter how old or healthy you are – you can still register as an organ and tissue donor. Registering is quick, easy and only takes one minute,” D’Costa said. “Victoria has one of the lowest registration rates in the country at 23 percent, compared to a national rate of 36 percent. I’m urging all Victorians to please register as an organ and tissue donor. Then, tell your family you want to be a donor – someone’s life depends on it.”
To register visit donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today
First published in the Frankston Times – 22 September 2026