PlusLife Managing Director Anne Cowie said hundreds of Australians had benefited from the selfless donations of bone and tissue in the past year and, this Australia Day, urged the community to consider registering as donors to help more people in need.

“Each of these donations has the ability to make very real differences to the lives of others,” Mrs Cowie said.

“There are hundreds of recipient success stories, including young cancer patients who have been saved the trauma of limb amputations and scoliosis patients who have been able to walk without pain and reclaim their lives after surgery thanks to kind tissue donors.”

PlusLife is a not-for profit and the only bone bank in WA. It manages bone and tissue donations through its two donor programs.

Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Of the 634 donations made in 2017, 619 were from living patients who donated their femoral heads, the ball part of the hip, after hip replacement surgery. Femoral heads are commonly used in a ground-up form to treat children with spinal deformities.

With the consent of generous family members, another 15 people donated bone and tissue after death.

“While organ donation has a high community profile, many people are not aware that tissue donation is actually possible, or that the decision to donate tissue and bone can be life-changing for patients,” Mrs Cowie said.

“One deceased tissue donor has the potential to improve the wellbeing, sight and mobility of up to 60 people through the donations of bones, tendons, corneas, heart valves and skin.

“We are proud that PlusLift grafts are produced from bone and tissue donated by Australian donors and not sourced from overseas. We stand by our onerous and thorough screening practices that ensure we are continually offering only the best quality donations to the community.

“On Australia Day, we celebrate all that we love about our country, but most of all the people. We like to think that PlusLife is a conduit for Australians helping Australians.”

Donations managed by PlusLife are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments of patients with dental and facial bone loss.

Mrs Cowie said tribute should be paid to the hundreds of living and deceased tissue donors who, through their generous donations, had helped improve many lives.

“We are extremely grateful to be able to offer the community a world-class service, but there is always a need for more donors to help benefit more lives,” Mrs Cowie said.

“We acknowledge these donors and this Australia Day, we urge all Australians to consider tissue donation. Have the conversation with your family and friends about your wishes and register your wishes on the Australian Organ Donor Registry.”

PlusLife has delivered services valued at more than $30 million to the community over the past 25 years. In addition to supplying graft for local medical procedures, PlusLife also provides bone and tissue around Australia.

To register as a bone, tissue or organ donor, visit www.donorregister.gov.au or via Medicare online.

PlusLife managing director Anne Cowie said the appointments provided a wealth of knowledge and new expertise, complementing the existing leadership team.

“We welcome our new cohort of directors to the PlusLife Board and look forward to working with each of them as we enter an exciting new chapter with the opening of our state-of-the-art laboratory and research facility in Midland on 24th March,” Mrs Cowie said.

“The knowledge and networks of all of our directors will help us to provide the very best strategic initiatives to support the important, valued and life-changing work of PlusLife.”

St John Ambulance Deputy Chief Executive Anthony Smith, former DonateLife WA State Manager Hal Boronovskis, consulting project director Bart Boelen and financial planner Steven Perica have joined the PlusLife board.

The new appointees will work with retired microbiologist and philanthropist Professor John Pearman, who holds the position of Chair; and incoming Deputy Chair Graham Reynolds, who has more than 40 years’ experience working in senior executive roles in the financial sector.

Other board directors include orthopaedic sarcoma surgeon Professor Richard Carey Smith, former St John of God hospital Midland Director of Medical Services Dr Allan Pelkowitz, retired accountant Donal O’Doherty, business change consultant Gordon Webster and oral and maxillofacial surgeon Professor Andrew Smith.

Peel Health Campus chief executive officer Dr Margaret Sturdy has unfortunately resigned from the Board because of work commitments after several years of valuable contribution to PlusLife.

Mrs Cowie said PlusLife had helped improve thousands of lives through generous donations of Australian tissue. Since starting operations in 1992, PlusLife has provided 18,167 grafts to 10,084 recipients.

“We are very proud that PlusLift grafts are produced from bone and tissue donated by Australian donors to help Australian patients, and not sourced from overseas,” she said.

“We hope to be able to help many more people in the future with the opening of our new $10 million state-of-the-art facility, which includes two tissue processing cleanrooms, freezer storage, a tissue testing laboratory and a dedicated research laboratory.

“These resources mean we will be able to continue our important work managing bone and tissue donations in WA as we strive to meet growing demand for our services.”

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss.

After a harrowing year, the 17-year-old is now preparing to embark on an exciting overseas adventure in Israel – a trip that may not have been possible if not for the dedicated work of PlusLife, WA’s bone and tissue bank, and sophisticated medical knowhow.

Chloe was just a week away from sitting her Year 12 exams last year when she was delivered the devastating diagnosis of an osteosarcoma – a tumour in her left femur.

Just four days after completing her exams, the Carmel School student was whisked into surgery to remove the tumour, with doctors transplanting allograft bone from PlusLife and a metal rod into her thigh.

Chloe said she visited her GP in July after noticing a lump on her left thigh and experiencing tiredness, which she suspected was low blood iron. Unperturbed, the GP gave her a referral for an ultrasound in case the lump grew or became painful.

“He didn’t seem concerned at all about it,” she said.

But by October the lump was feeling sore. An x-ray showed some abnormalities, but did not raise concern from the radiographer. It was not until her mother, Ros, sought a second opinion that a CT scan revealed the low grade tumor.

Now the family is sharing their experience in a bid to raise awareness about bone and tissue donation and the important work of PlusLife, WA’s bone and tissue bank, as it prepares to open its $10 million state-of-the-art facility in Midland on March 24.

Chloe said many people did not even realise bone and tissue donation was possible.

“The work of PlusLife is so important. I didn’t even know the bone and tissue bank existed until I was put in the position where I needed a bone graft,” Chloe said.

“PlusLife is such an important organisation. I cannot begin to understand what life would have been like if it was not around to help. Without the selfless donor and this amazing organisation, my prognosis may have been very different.”

“PlusLife makes a real difference to the lives of many people just like me.”

Chloe said the family was extremely thankful for the bone graft donation and called on others to consider becoming tissue donors.

Orthopaedic surgeon and PlusLife medical director Professor Richard Carey Smith said PlusLife helped provide sarcoma patients with better health outcomes through its management of bone and tissue donations.

“With correct early diagnosis and management we can cure people of disease. We have a high success rate, with some of these tumours a 90 to 100 per cent cure rate,” Professor Carey Smith said.

“If this had happened 30 or 40 years ago it would have been a different story. There is a high chance that Chloe would have ended up with an amputation through the proximal thigh, so it would have been a very different story for her.”

PlusLife managing director Anne Cowie said PlusLife had helped improve thousands of lives through generous donations of Australian tissue. Since starting operations in 1992, PlusLife has provided more than 18,000 grafts to more than 10,000 recipients.

“We hope to be able to help many more people in the future with the opening of our new $10 million facility in Midland, which includes two tissue processing cleanrooms, freezer storage, a tissue testing laboratory and a dedicated research laboratory,” Mrs Cowie said.

“These resources mean we will be able to continue our important work managing bone and tissue donations in WA as we strive to meet growing demand for our services.”

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss. In many cases it has saved children the distress of a limb amputation.

“While organ donation rightly has a high community profile and is known as a life-saving gift, many people are not aware that tissue donation is actually possible, or that their decision to be a tissue donor can have life-changing benefits for patients,” Mrs Cowie said.

“One deceased tissue donor has the potential to improve the wellbeing, sight and mobility of up to 60 people.”

To register as a bone, tissue or organ donor, visit www.donorregister.gov.au or via Medicare online.

Mrs Hollington said her family was extremely thankful for Angus’s bone donation and called on others to consider registering as donors.

“Through its management of bone and tissue, PlusLife makes a very real difference to the lives of people just like Angus. We are very grateful for their work and the hundreds of people each year who decide to donate precious tissue.”

PlusLife managing director Anne Cowie said PlusLife had helped improve thousands of lives through generous donations of Australian tissue. Since starting operations in 1992, PlusLife has provided more than 18,000 grafts to more than 10,000 recipients.

“We hope to be able to help many more people in the future with the opening of our new $10 million facility in Midland, which includes two tissue processing cleanrooms, freezer storage, a tissue testing laboratory and a dedicated research laboratory,” Mrs Cowie said.

“These resources mean we will be able to continue our important work managing bone and tissue donations in WA as we strive to meet growing demand for our services.”

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss. In many cases it has saved children diagnosed with cancer the distress of a limb amputation.

Mrs Cowie said there was a need for greater community awareness about bone and tissue donation, which greatly improved outcomes for patients.

“While organ donation has a high community profile and is known as a life-saving gift, many people are not aware that tissue donation is actually possible,” Mrs Cowie said.

“The donation of tissue can have life-changing benefits for patients. One deceased tissue donor has the potential to improve the wellbeing, sight and mobility of up to 60 people.”

To register as a bone, tissue or organ donor, visit www.donorregister.gov.au or via Medicare online.

The 32-year-old Pickering Brook woman has her surgeon to thank for corrective surgery that reduced the chronic curvature of her spine – and four people who donated their hip bones after hip replacement surgery.

Bernadine was just five years old when her mother first sought advice from a doctor, concerned about her daughter’s posture.

“Mum noticed it when I was five and she took me to the doctor. The doctor brushed it off saying: ‘She’s lazy, she’s slouching, she’s fine, she’s fine’,” she said.

For years Bernadine endured a revolving door of medical appointments until one doctor took her complaint seriously. She was diagnosed with Scheuermann’s disease, a developmental disorder of the spine that causes wedging of the vertebrae and results in a hunch back.

But the diagnosis did not herald answers. Two years of wearing a restrictive back brace 23 hours a day, seven days a week did not help, and at the age of 18, Bernadine was told her deformity was “cosmetic” and nothing could be done to relieve her pain.

“It was a constant ache in my spine,” she said. “It was there all the time and caused lots of headaches. I didn’t think about it much at the time being young, but once I turned 18 I noticed it more. I just put it down to the intense labour working on our family orchard.”

Her symptoms worsened and four years ago, while picking fruit, her back seized.

“I will never forget that day. It was horrific,” Bernadine said. “It was like someone was in there ripping my spine apart. The pain was excruciating. It caused me to drop to my knees. I tried to grab onto the branches, but I was pulling all the fruit and leaves off with me.

“I shook it off and sat on the ground for maybe 30 seconds and picked myself back up thinking it had passed, but it happened again.

“That was the beginning of the end. I haven’t worked since.”

In August 2016 – 25 years after her mother first raised concerns – Bernadine underwent corrective surgery. Orthopaedic surgeon Peter Woodland cut out the four wedged vertebrae, replaced them with donor bone and inserted two large rods for support.

“The results have been amazing,” Bernadine said. “I can’t thank Dr Woodland enough.

“I have gained 5cm in height. I’ve gone from an 85 per cent curvature of the spine to 33 per cent, well within the normal range now. And the pain is so much better – it’s manageable.”

Bernadine is eagerly waiting for November when she will be assessed to return to work.

Now she is sharing her story in a bid to raise awareness about bone and tissue donation and the important work of PlusLife, WA’s only bone and tissue bank.

It comes as PlusLife prepares to open its new $10 million state-of-the-art facility in Midland on Saturday, March 24.

“I don’t know where I would be without PlusLife and the special donors whose bones I received,” Bernadine said. “I didn’t even know the bone and tissue bank existed until I was put in the position where I needed a bone donation.

“Through its donor programs, PlusLife really does make amazing differences to the lives of people just like me.”

Bernadine said she was extremely thankful for the bone donations and called on others to consider becoming donors.

PlusLife managing director Anne Cowie said the new facilities would allow the health service to grow its bone and tissue management operations and continue its vital work supporting the community.

Since opening as the Perth Bone and Tissue Bank 25 years ago, Plus Life has provided more than 18,000 grafts to more than 10,000 patients, many of whom are children with bone cancer and spinal deformities.

“PlusLife has helped improve thousands of lives through the generous donations of Australian tissue,” Mrs Cowie said.

“This new building means we will be able to continue our important work managing bone and tissue donations in WA as we strive to meet growing demand for our services.

“We greatly appreciate the State Government’s support, which will ensure we can continue to provide a high quality service for future generations.”

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss. In many cases it has saved young adults the distress of a limb amputation.

Mrs Cowie said there was a need for greater community awareness about bone and tissue donation, which greatly improves outcomes for patients.

“While organ donation has a high community profile and is known as a life-saving gift, many people are not aware that tissue donation is actually possible,” Mrs Cowie said.

“The donation of tissue can have life-changing benefits for patients. One deceased tissue donor has the potential to improve the wellbeing, sight and mobility of up to 60 people.”

To register as a bone, tissue or organ donor, visit www.donorregister.gov.au or via Medicare online.

The 12-year-old Thornlie girl was diagnosed with a large aneurysmal bone cyst on her right femur in March 2017, after years of suffering constant and excruciating leg pain.

Aneurysmal bone cysts are benign bone lesions that predominantly occur in children and adolescents. They can cause severe pain, swelling and bone fractures.

Bianca’s mother Tania Valenti said her daughter, who turns 13 on Saturday, had endured years of leg pain and a revolving door of doctors who had failed to identify the cause.

“We had taken her to several doctors and a naturopath, but this pain just wouldn’t go,” Mrs Valenti said. “One doctor suggested that the pain was perceived, but I knew my child was not making it up.”

By the end of the 2016 Christmas school holidays Bianca was in agony, with the pain compromising her beloved hip hop and jazz dance classes, which she attended four times a week.

Acting on maternal instinct, Mrs Valenti took Bianca to a physiotherapist who recommended an MRI scan, which revealed the cyst. She was then referred to orthopaedic surgeon Richard Carey Smith.

Further medical investigations revealed the cyst, a bubble like growth on the inside of her right femur, was causing repeated bone fractures.

Bianca underwent surgery in March 2017 to remove the cyst and transplant a donor bone graft into her femur. She was recovering well until October last year when a routine x-ray revealed another cyst just above the original site. The second cyst was removed in January and another donor bone graft transplanted into Bianca’s leg.

Now the Valenti family is sharing Bianca’s story in a bid to raise awareness about bone and tissue donation and the important work of PlusLife, WA’s only bone and tissue bank.

It comes as PlusLife prepares to open its new $10 million state-of-the-art facility in Midland on Saturday, March 24.

“Bianca loves to dance. She’s turning 13 this week and she’s full of life,” Mrs Valenti said.

“I’m so grateful for PlusLife. I hate to think of the limitations Bianca would have had to live with if bone donations were not available.

“If it wasn’t for PlusLife and the bone donations Bianca received, there’s no way she would be up and about now. It’s so wonderful this technology and medical knowhow is available to make such life-changing benefits to people’s lives.”

Mrs Valenti said she was extremely thankful for Bianca’s bone donations and called on others to consider becoming donors.

PlusLife managing director Anne Cowie said the new facilities would allow the health service to grow its bone and tissue management operations and continue its vital work supporting the community.

Since opening as the Perth Bone and Tissue Bank 25 years ago, Plus Life has provided more than 18,000 grafts to more than 10,000 patients, many of whom are children with bone cancer and spinal deformities.

“PlusLife has helped improve thousands of lives through the generous donations of Australian tissue,” Mrs Cowie said.

“This new building means we will be able to continue our important work managing bone and tissue donations in WA as we strive to meet growing demand for our services.

“We greatly appreciate the State Government’s support, which will ensure we can continue to provide a high quality service for future generations.”

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss. In many cases it has saved young adults the distress of a limb amputation.

Mrs Cowie said there was a need for greater community awareness about bone and tissue donation, which greatly improves outcomes for patients.

“While organ donation has a high community profile and is known as a life-saving gift, many people are not aware that tissue donation is actually possible,” Mrs Cowie said.

“The donation of tissue can have life-changing benefits for patients. One deceased tissue donor has the potential to improve the wellbeing, sight and mobility of up to 60 people.”

To register as a bone, tissue or organ donor, visit www.donorregister.gov.au or via Medicare online.

The new facility was unveiled by Midland MLA Michelle Roberts this morning in a special ceremony involving recipients of bone and tissue donations, their relatives, donor families, medical stakeholders and PlusLife staff.

Mrs Roberts said the new facilities would allow the health service to grow its bone and tissue management operations and continue its vital work supporting the West Australian community.

“In the past 25 years, PlusLife has provided more than 18,000 grafts that have helped more than 10,000 patients, many of whom are children with bone cancer and spinal deformities,” she said.

Designed by award-winning architects Cameron Chisholm Nicol and built by Balcatta company PS Structures, the purpose-built facility includes two tissue processing cleanrooms, freezer storage, a tissue testing laboratory and a dedicated research laboratory.

PlusLife managing director Anne Cowie said the previous facilities, based in Nedlands, had become cramped and outdated, and in 2016, the State Government committed $10 million to build a new workspace for PlusLife.

“PlusLife has helped improve thousands of lives through the generous donations of Australian tissue,” Mrs Cowie said.

“This new building means we will be able to continue our important work managing bone and tissue donations in WA as we strive to meet growing demand for our services.

“We greatly appreciate the State Government’s support, which will ensure we can continue to provide a high quality service for future generations.”

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss. In many cases it has saved young adults the distress of a limb amputation.

Mrs Cowie said there was a need for greater community awareness about bone and tissue donation, which greatly improves outcomes for patients.

“While organ donation has a high community profile and is known as a life-saving gift, many people are not aware that tissue donation is actually possible,” Mrs Cowie said.

“The donation of tissue can have life-changing benefits for patients. One deceased tissue donor has the potential to improve the wellbeing, sight and mobility of up to 60 people.”

To register as a bone, tissue or organ donor, visit www.donorregister.gov.au or via Medicare online.

Retired accountant Donal O’Doherty who served on the PlusLife board for 18 years, including as treasurer, has resigned as a board director.

Retired microbiologist and philanthropist Professor John Pearman has stepped down as chairman after 12 years, while Graham Reynolds, a board member since 2000, has relinquished the position of interim deputy chair. Both remain board directors.

Project manager and company director Bart Boelen has taken up the position of chairman, with business change consultant Gordon Webster stepping into the deputy chair and treasurer roles.

Mr Boelen thanked Mr O’Doherty for his long contribution to the board of WA’s bone and tissue bank.

“I would like to thank Donal O’Doherty for an outstanding 18 years of service to the board of PlusLife. His wealth of fiscal knowledge has been of major benefit to PlusLife and its financial management and we wish him all the very best for the future,” he said.

“I would also like to acknowledge Professor John Pearman for his unwavering commitment to PlusLife and a sterling job at the helm of the board over the past 12 years.

“The knowledge and networks of all of our directors help us to provide the very best strategic initiatives to support the important, valued and life-changing work of PlusLife.”

This year, The Brand Agency account director Darcy White, St John Ambulance Deputy Chief Executive Anthony Smith, former DonateLife WA State Manager Hal Boronovskis and financial planner Steven Perica joined the PlusLife board.

Other board directors include orthopaedic sarcoma surgeon Professor Richard Carey Smith, former St John of God hospital Midland Director of Medical Services Dr Allan Pelkowitz and oral maxillofacial surgeon Professor Andrew Smith.

PlusLife has helped improve thousands of lives through generous donations of Australian tissue. Since starting operations in 1992, PlusLife has provided more than 18,000 grafts to in excess of 10,000 recipients.

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss.

The prestigious award for the Best Industrial Building ($5 million to $10 million) was presented to Balcatta builder PS Structures at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday night. The project was PS Structures’ first ever cleanroom development.

Designed by award-winning architects Cameron Chisholm Nicol, the purpose-built facility includes two tissue processing cleanrooms, freezer storage, a tissue testing laboratory and a dedicated research laboratory, linked to PlusLife’s heritage listed administration building.

The award also acknowledged the efforts of cleanroom design experts, engineering firm Asia Pacific Consultants.

PlusLife managing director Anne Cowie said the award was worthy recognition of the outstanding design and construction work undertaken for PlusLife’s new home.

“This is a welcome and timely win as we prepare to launch our annual awareness campaign for DonateLife Week 2018 next week to help raise the profile of tissue and bone donation in WA,” Mrs Cowie said.

“We congratulate PS Structures, Cameron Chisholm Nicol and Asia Pacific Consultants for their outstanding workmanship on the PlusLife project and are proud to have worked with some of the finest and most knowledgeable minds in the construction business to see our new headquarters reach fruition. This award is due recognition.

“PS Structures and the entire project team, including PlusLife’s Chris Bombak, worked hard to ensure the building was completed on time and on budget. From start to finish it took less than 12 months.

“Three years ago we were working from a cramped, outdated site in Nedlands. We had outgrown our workspace and were faced with the prospect of having to close a vital West Australian health service.”

In 2016, the State Government committed $10 million to build a new workspace for PlusLife.

“This new building means mean we can continue our important work managing bone and tissue donations in WA and we will strive to meet growing demand for our services,” Mrs Cowie said.

PS Structures project manager William Lillie said the company was proud to receive such high recognition for the construction of its first ever cleanroom.

“As the first cleanroom facility PS Structures has ever attempted, we embraced this as a great opportunity to broaden our company’s position into a market in WA and work with one of the state’s most important health providers,” Mr Lillie said.

“We are beyond thrilled to be named the winner of such a prestigious award that recognises the best of the construction industry in Western Australia.”

PlusLife bone and tissue transplants are required almost every day to treat patients with spinal deformities, young people with bone cancers (often preventing the amputation of a limb); and many more patients with arthritic joint disease and sporting injuries.

Last year, PlusLife supplied 634 people with bone and tissue transplants.

“Each of these transplants has the ability to make very real differences to the lives of others, but despite these positive outcomes many people do not realise that tissue donation is even possible,” Mrs Cowie said.

One deceased tissue donor has the potential to improve the wellbeing, sight and mobility of up to 60 people through the donations of bones, tendons, corneas, heart valves and skin.

PlusLife has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

To register as a bone, tissue or organ donor, visit www.donorregister.gov.au or via Medicare online.

The Midland-based team, which manages life-changing bone and tissue donations, built the bike as part of a series of group challenges before a surprise presentation to Alice Ralph, 3, who has battled high-risk neuroblastoma since she was a baby.

Neuroblastoma, is the most common solid tumour of childhood, occurring almost exclusively in children from infants to the age of five. About 40 children a year are diagnosed with neuroblastoma in Australia.

Alice’s father, Stephen, said his family was delivered his daughter’s heartbreaking diagnosis of a stage four high-risk neuroblastoma when she was just seven months old.

“Alice had a very intensive treatment regime involving chemotherapy, surgery, stem cell collection, mega therapy and stem cell recovery – all before she turned one,” he said.

“She had her last high dose of chemotherapy on her first birthday.

“Fortunately, her treatment worked and she is currently showing no evidence of disease.

“We are now relishing in the opportunity to celebrate Alice’s 4th birthday on November 13 and plan to have a big party to celebrate a birthday that at times we didn’t think we would see.”

Mr Ralph said Alice had a zest for life and lived every day to the fullest.

“Alice brings joy and happiness to everyone she meets,” he said.

“She loves everything dancing and is an avid tap dancer. She loves to be active and is really loving the bike that she was gifted from PlusLife after everything she has been through.”

Four other bicycles constructed during the PlusLife staff development day have also been donated to cancer patients undergoing treatment at Perth Children’s Hospital in Nedlands.

Since opening as the Perth Bone and Tissue Bank 26 years ago, PlusLife has provided more than 19,000 grafts to over 10,000 patients, many of whom are children with bone cancer and spinal deformities.

PlusLife managing director Anne Cowie said the organisation had become closely aligned with parents of young cancer patients who had received life-changing tissue donations, and they had put forward names of worthy recipients for the bikes.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide some joy to Alice through this bike donation and hope she get hours of enjoyment from it after all she has been through,” Mrs Cowie said.

“As well as helping to build better workplace relationships, problem-solving and productivity in our workplace, this team-building exercise has been a reminder for us about why we do the work we do.”

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss. In many cases it has saved children with cancer the distress of a limb amputation.

“PlusLife has helped improve thousands of lives through generous donations of Australian tissue. This small gesture is just an extension of that giving,” she said.