RODEO 4 LIFE…

A PASSION PROJECT BY DOUG VICKERS OAM

Rodeo 4 Life producer Doug Vickers is more than a businessman, he’s also a grateful RPA liver transplant recipient who’s doing much more than setting the bar high for Australian rodeo sports entertainment; he’s also increasing awareness of organ donation and funding essential life-saving organ transplant research with 100% of profits dedicated to research conducted at the RPATI.

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) has long been Australia’s pioneers in organ transplant research and surgery having saved thousands of lives through developing breakthroughs to benefit all Australians.

Thanks to the funds raised from Rodeo 4 Life, the RPATI will be able to continue with the development of a world first organ perfusion system that will be able to extend organ viability from the current length of just a few hours to become viable for several days. This will allow more organs to be made available for transplant and a greater number of Australian lives to be saved.

The RPA Transplant Institute

Since 2006, the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Transplant Institute (RPATI) has advanced transplant surgery, building on Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital’s transplantation legacy since 1967. RPATI emphasises transplant research, equipment funding, and educational programs to aid transplant waitlisted adults and children. Financial support enables cutting-edge research, improving transplant patients’ life quality and longevity. Collaborations include RPA Hospital, the University of Sydney, and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

A major challenge is the lack of quality liver grafts, with many in NSW being rejected. To address this, RPATI’s Centre for Organ Assessment Repair and Optimisation developed the Extended Organ Perfusion System (EOPS), preserving human livers for two weeks and reviving previously unsuitable donor livers. This innovation also enables new treatments like gene and stem-cell therapies. A recent achievement was splitting whole livers into two lobes during perfusion, doubling liver transplant opportunities. Through EOPS, a 35% increase in liver transplant recipients is anticipated, improving prospects for individuals with severe liver conditions.

If you would like to learn more about the RPA Transplant Institute’s work and research, make a donation or consider becoming an organ donor, then simply click on the RPATI logo below.