Jack Wilson is the grandson of Rotary District 9650 Governor and well-known Taree locals, Maurie Stack and his wife De.

Jack was born with nephrotic syndrome, a rare congenital kidney disease which meant he initially had to return to hospital five days per week for four hourly sessions of protein infusion, then moving onto 10 hours of home dialysis every night.

From three days after his birth in mid-2013 Jack had a tube protruding from his body which meant he couldn't have a bath, let alone swim in a pool or at the beach, with their son's illness placing an enormous strain on the Newcastle based family.

Jack's life was transformed with the gift of a kidney transplant from his father Clinton in February this year.

Relief for the family was immediate.

In the week following the surgery, Maurie received a message from his daughter Tammy, Jack's mother, telling him that a dialysis alarm had gone off in the hospital that night and she didn't have to worry about it.

Previously Jack had been on dialysis every night for three months, with an alarm going off every time he rolled over or otherwise blocked the line.

Tammy, who attended St Joseph's Primary School and St Clare's High School in Taree before relocating to Newcastle, was not the only family member feeling a sense of joy.

Jack's four-year-old brother Louis proudly announced to his preschool class that his brother would now be able to come to the beach with him.

Jack's father and kidney donor Clinton has recovered well after the surgery, despite looking like he had been "hit by a bus" in the aftermath, according to Maurie.

They were precious moments the family was afforded because of the act of donation.

It's why Rotary clubs around Australia are supporting DonateLife Week and urging families to discuss organ donation.

"As an organ and tissue donor, you could transform the lives of 10 or more people," Maurie said.

"It's important to go onto the internet and register your donation decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register and, most importantly, that you share your decision with those closest to you."

Professor Jonathan Craig from Westmead Children's Hospital Sydney said, "Australia is a world leader in organ and tissue transplants. But we depend entirely on the compassion of ordinary Australians who make a decision which enables us to change lives."

Except for kidneys and in rare cases partial livers, organs can only be transplanted after death.

"In the same way that we discuss what we want to have happen in the event of our death, we also need to talk about whether we would like to become an organ and tissue donor," Maurie said.

"It's a conversation we can have today, that helps prepare our loved ones should they be offered the opportunity to proceed with organ and tissue donation."

In Australia, the family will always be asked to confirm the donation decision of their loved one before donation for transplantation can proceed.

"Families who have discussed and know each other's donation decisions are much more likely to support donation proceeding. This is a conversation that could one day save lives," Maurie said.

lachlan.leeming@fairfaxmedia.com.au