Forty per cent will receive their organ donation and 40 per cent will roll over to the next year, still waiting on a donation.

This from donor specialist nurse Sarah Woolley.

Ms Woolley was in Griffith this week as part of ‘DonateLife Week’ and said there is a huge misconception about how many organ donors there really are.

“One misconception is that organ donors are a dime a dozen, that there are plenty of organ donors out there,” she said,

“The reality is that’s not the case.

“There's only about one per cent of all deaths that can qualify as donors.

“Nationwide last year there were 378 organ donors, they went on to save over 1100 people's lives.”

She said it was important to stay informed about a loved one’s wishes.

“If you're on the fence about organ donation, make sure you know all the facts about it and be able to make an informed decision, and when you do come to that decision make sure you tell your family,” she said.

In her line of work she “never meets a family at a good time,” but she said people do rest easier knowing they have helped out someone in need.

“I always meet them at the worst time in their lives and I'm incredibly privileged to be allowed into their lives then,” she said.

“We don't go in there and try and force them into organ donation, we're trying to find out what that person's wishes were so we can help make that happen.

“The families that do go ahead with organ donation, almost all of them gain some type of reprieve, or they feel like their loved one’s death hasn't been for nothing, that they’ve gone on to save, even one person's life.”

Health Minister Jillian Skinner recentky visited Westmead Hospital to launch ‘DonateLife Week’ where she talked about just how hard having a conversation on the topic could be.

“Organ donation is a very rare event - only about one per cent of deaths occur in circumstances which allow organ donation to take place,” she said.

“Discussing organ and tissue donation is difficult but it prepares our loved ones for the rare circumstance in which they will be asked to make this choice.

“One conversation with loved ones today could save many lives in the future.”

In 2015 (to June 30), there have been 64 organ donors in NSW, enabling over 170 transplants.

Last year in NSW, 92 organ donors made 263 life-saving organ transplants possible.

“Our 2015 target is 116 organ donors,” Ms Bishop said.

To register as an organ donor go to http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/australian-organ-donor-register