Scott Mortley with his certificate of recognition for his role as a bone |marrow donor.
Camera IconScott Mortley with his certificate of recognition for his role as a bone |marrow donor. Credit: Supplied/Marcelo Palacios

Local father recognised for giving gift of life

Staff ReporterComment News

Mr Mortley said his life-saving donation helped him appreciate time with his son (six months) and daughter (18 months).

‘It makes you feel pretty good,’ he said. ‘My first donation was accepted by a grandfather who was dying, it gave him the boost he needed to recover because of my donation.’

Around the world, 70 per cent of patients needing a bone marrow donation rely on the Australian and world registries.

‘It’s a common misconception that the only way you can do it is with a big needle in the spine,’ ARCBS public affairs officer Jessica Willet said.

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‘Donating bone marrow is very similar to donating platelets and plasma, where stem cells are removed from a donor’s blood and the unused blood returned to the patient.’

There are 175,000 people on the Australian bone marrow donor registry but only one in 1000 is called to donate each year.