His liver specialist delivered the bad news through a registrar, and with the news that his liver had been damaged beyond repair Michael began to think of the future.

The likelihood of a transplant was poor, mostly due to the lack of donors in NSW.

Last year’s statistics, released in March 2017, revealed that although 6,361,989 are donors across the country just 504,830 reside in NSW.

Although it is always the case with donor lists, the waiting list for liver transplants far outweighs those that have registered to offer their vital organs for others.

Michael felt as if more could be done for the desperate recipients of organs that may allow them to live, and called out the government.

“They have dropped the ball on promoting organ donation,” he stated.

“I want to make Mudgee the donation town of NSW, and put the challenge out to other rural centres.

“We’ve seen the cities drop the ball for this kind of support, so let’s show the city-folk what community spirit really is all about.”

That community spirit, for Michael, came in an awareness campaign in the town that included a working bee in his mother’s backyard.

With his mother suffering from dementia at a late age, he felt the best he could do was help her around the garden that she loved, and use the working bee to raise awareness for his movement.

“I’m one to rely on one voice to make a change,” Michael admitted.

“I have a voice that is yelling no one wants to address the subject of death, but that it needs to happen.

“I’m a glass all-full guy, and I believe that the gift of giving life to someone is amazing.”

Michael admitted that his main aim for the drive had been awareness, but even just to bring people in the community together was something that put a smile on his face.

“I can't say my journey has been easy, yet I still remain positive,” he said.

“I know I only ever see the best in people. There's so much love and kindness out there that we miss because of our busy modern lives.”

Join the national donor register online at: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/australian-organ-donor-register.