The Film's Participants:
ALLAN TURNER is the father of seven year old girl Zaidee - who became the only child under the age of 16 years in Victoria in 2004 to become an organ and tissue donor after dying suddenly from a brain aneurysm. Having learned that Australia’s donor registration and completion rates lag behind similar countries, Allan has devoted his life to finding a solution. He alerts us to the current state of play: 8 out of 10 Australians would donate - but only 36% have recorded this decision on the donor register, and if family members are not informed of these wishes, over 50% of intended donations will not proceed. Allan seeks remedies, revealing differing consent policies around the world, while we focus on the emotive stories of Australians in need, who may die waiting…
KATE (KITTY) HANSEN is a diabetic, who has been awaiting a pancreas and double kidney transplant for over six harrowing years, enduring exhausting dialysis three times a week. Celebrating her body’s resilience, Kate enters a tattoo modelling contest, but does so under the shadow of an imminent amputation. Undergoing three near-death experiences and constantly in pain, she struggles to keep fighting for the sake of her parents and boyfriend, but she struggles with dark thoughts of giving up, as she waits each day for ‘that call’...
PETER "WOODY" WOOD is awaiting his third kidney transplant. Woody's kidneys began to fail when he was just 11, and he received his first transplant at 21. Unfortunately, that transplant didn’t take (despite a year in hospital), so Woody was back on the waiting list until receiving a second transplant at 28. He had ten good years, but has been on dialysis since then. Woody's arms bear the scars of his lengthy dependence on medical intervention. His only hope for survival is receiving a third, precious kidney... but can anyone get a once-in-a-lifetime chance three times?
HOLLY RALPH has cystic fibrosis, an incurable genetic disorder that afflicts her lungs so they can only function at 16% of their capacity. Constantly coughing and hacking, Holly needs medication and oxygen to stay alive and relieve the fluid congestion she’s drowning in. She receives a double lung transplant, and her daughter, River, cares for her as Holly dramatically recovers. She longs to thank her donor family in person, something Australian privacy laws prevent. Instead she writes a heartfelt letter, which will be delivered anonymously.
LEVI WOODS-BARNARD needs a kidney. His parents would both like to be a living donor for him, and we see them go through the process of determining who it will be - before learning that mother Alice is the better match. She lovingly gives life to Levi... a second time.
HENRY ARCHOO is an Indigenous Bardi man living on country in the Kimberley. Blind in one eye and virtually blind in the other, he awaits a corneal transplant. His wife, Barbara, cannot walk, and barks directions as Henry pushes her around in a wheelchair - she is his eyes and he is her feet.
If Henry is to continue painting his homeland and helping Barbara, he needs a new cornea.
TONY BERET has liver cancer. He wins a shot at survival when he is matched with a new liver donated by a perfect stranger. Tony’s partner, Peter, waits anxiously as the difficult operation is performed. Later though, a portion of Tony’s new liver begins to die...
