Each family is different, however for mother and father of the late Lui Polimeni, Jenny and Gino, there was no way they would not help another person if they could. 

Their decision to donate Lui’s organs provided the gift of life for six lucky people and their families.

Now, the Polimeni family is left in no doubt as to what their generosity means with letters from the parents of a baby, a young man who received his lungs and a mother of three boys who received his heart.

While the hearts of Jenny, Gino and little brother Joey will forever be altered for losing Lui too soon, they can find comfort in knowing that his heart lives on and has kept a family together. 

Jenny has taken to social media to encourage other recipients of donor organs to write letters to the donor’s families. 

While it is a difficult decision to donate organs, we must equally think of the people who receive them and their families. 

These are people left with no choice, accept this gift from a family grieving their loved one or stop fighting – it must be difficult to reconcile their second chance with that of a family’s grief.

However, as Jenny so eloquently said on ‘The Herd of Hope’ Facebook site, “We would like to encourage recipients to write letters to their donor's family as I know we would love to hear from Lui's other recipients”.

The Herd of Hope is a cattle event which aims to raise awareness for organ donation in Australia.

In honour of Lui, a cow will be named number 13, his rugby league number.

Decisions about organ donation are best discussed well before they need to be made. 

Australia has an Organ Donor Register; the only national register to record a person’s decision about donating their organs and tissue for transplantation after death.

Recording a donation decision on the register is voluntary and people have complete choice over which organs and tissue they wish to donate.

In Australia, families are always asked to confirm the donation decision of their loved one before donation can proceed. 

For people with serious or life threatening illnesses, an organ or tissue transplant could mean a second chance at life.

Around 1500 people are on Australian organ transplant waiting lists at any time.