Sam Chisholm's lifesaving legacy through organ donation
31-Dec-2024
Sam Chisholm AO leaves many legacies, high among those the leadership he gave to Australia’s Organ and Tissue Authority, as inaugural Chairman.
He oversaw the establishment of the national program to increase organ and tissue donation for Australians in need of life-saving and life-transforming transplants.
Sam understood the extraordinary power of giving, having received a double lung transplant at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney in 2003.
His dedication and expertise with the Authority from 2009-2012 laid the foundation for growth which has seen the number of organ donors more than double.
At the same time, more than 10,000 Australians have received organ or tissue donations.
Sam Chisholm was deeply committed to improving the health of all Australians, supporting medical research and also serving as a director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.
On behalf of the Turnbull Government, the Organ and Tissue Authority and the DonateLife Network, I pass on my deepest condolences to Sam’s wife, Sue, and his family for their loss.
The legacy of his work lives on, in thousands of Australian lives saved or changed for the better.
