Auckland Service Honors Organ Donors

Why this is here: A single donor in New Zealand can provide up to five organs—heart, two kidneys, liver, and lungs—offering life to multiple recipients.

In Auckland, New Zealand, Anna Maharaj lit a candle Sunday at an annual remembrance service for organ donors and transplant recipients. For 24 years, she has honored an anonymous donor who gave her two kidneys when she was 24, after three years battling lupus. Organ Donation New Zealand held its first Thanksgiving Service in 1998, now hosting three annual services across the country.

About 400 people attended the Auckland service, a diverse group connected by organ donation. The Very Reverend Anne Mills acknowledged the complex emotions present, welcoming people of all faiths. Organ donation remains rare, possible in only about one percent of deaths in New Zealand, resulting in roughly 60 to 70 donors each year.

Tami Neuman, whose daughter Yahel donated five organs after a cardiac arrest, has attended the service for ten years. She has met one recipient of her daughter’s liver, finding solace in knowing Yahel continues to live on through others.

Family consent remains crucial, even when a person indicates their wish to donate. The work of matching donors to recipients and supporting families continues.