The Sussex Inlet resident’s late wife, Patricia (known widely as Louise) sadly passed away recently due to heart issues and a bleed to the brain at Wollongong Hospital.

Her eyes and tissues were able to be taken and Mr Tucker wants people to seriously consider becoming an organ donor.

‘We (as a family) believe in helping where we can,” he said.

“Why let, when you die, good organs go to waste when they may help someone else who is in a spot of bother.”

His only regret is that more organs could not be donated.

He wants the organ donation system streamlined to make it easier for valuable organs to be donated.

“Louse was not a smoker and never smoked in her life. Her lungs were spot on and so were her kidneys,” he said.

Mr Tucker would love for a specialist organ donation team to be based in the South Coast on a full time basis so more organs can be taken.

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District’s Executive Director Clinical Operations Carolyn Cooper said organ donation was a great gift.

“The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District recognises the generosity and selflessness of exceptional people who give the ultimate gift of donating their organs,” she said.

“We also acknowledge the families who show immense strength at a time of heavy personal loss to carry out the donation wishes of their loved one.”

When is comes to organ donation the process does need to be regimented.

“In order for that generosity to benefit those awaiting transplant, there are very strict medical criteria that are required to ensure the organs are suitable,” she said

“Less than one per cent of people who pass away in hospital are medically suitable to donate their organs.

“Suitability is reliant upon circumstances including illness, the type of treatment the person was receiving and the cause of death.”

She said organ donation was something all staff took seriously.

“Staff work incredibly hard - in very challenging circumstances - to identify potential donors, to start the conversation with loved ones and to guide them through what is involved to help them make a final decision,” she said.

Unfortunately, getting a local donor team on the South Coast is out of reach at this stage.

“Retrieval surgery is performed by specialist transplant surgeons, and their dedicated teams, who travel throughout NSW and Australia to retrieve the precious organs,” she said.

The transplant procedure is then undertaken in only a handful of specialist transplant hospitals nation-wide (Wollongong is not one).”

The local health district has been involved with organ and tissue donation since the early 1980s and they continue to be amazed by the extraordinary kindness of exceptional people who help save others.

Recently organ donors and their families were honoured with Donate Life Thank You Day and these events not only pay tribute to those who’ve donated, but continue to raise awareness of the importance of knowing the donation wishes of our loved ones and what is involved in the process.

People are urged to go to www.donatelife.gov.au for more information.