The Gift

9:00pm – Wednesday, October 14 on Channel Nine

Celia was the second of 6 children. She was an extrovert and a very caring person. Her parents and brothers remember a girl that always made them smile. She had discussed organ donation with them and was sure she would donate if ever came to that.

That discussion made her parents decision easy when she passed away. Her gifts saved 5 lives. As her mother says “I’m just happy for those people that received Celia’s organs and I hope they are enjoying their lives.” Tim is 63. He suffers from emphysema caused by a genetic condition. He has flown from Adelaide for a lung transplant in Sydney, but his wife could not make the flight. He will have to face the operation alone. His age makes the operation more risky, but there is no other choice Ross is 58 and needs a liver transplant. His wife and 2 daughters know they may lose him. Tonight a donor liver is available, and Ross may be able to start a new life.

Carolyn is just 31 and a rare disease is destroying her vision. Within months she will be totally blind. But a cornea transplant could save her sight. Tonight her life may be changed as a cornea is available

9:00pm – Wednesday, September 30 on Channel Nine

Celia was the second of 6 children. She was an extrovert and a very caring person. Her parents and brothers remember a girl that always made them smile. She had discussed organ donation with them and was sure she would donate if ever came to that.

That discussion made her parents decision easy when she passed away. Her gifts saved 5 lives. As her mother says “I’m just happy for those people that received Celia’s organs and I hope they are enjoying their lives.” Tim is 63. He suffers from emphysema caused by a genetic condition. He has flown from Adelaide for a lung transplant in Sydney, but his wife could not make the flight. He will have to face the operation alone. His age makes the operation more risky, but there is no other choice Ross is 58 and needs a liver transplant. His wife and 2 daughters know they may lose him. Tonight a donor liver is available, and Ross may be able to start a new life.

Carolyn is just 31 and a rare disease is destroying her vision. Within months she will be totally blind. But a cornea transplant could save her sight. Tonight her life may be changed as a cornea is available

9:00pm – Wednesday, September 23 on Channel Nine

Christine was a twin and a mother of two. She had just had a family holiday, and was incredibly happy. But she suffered a brain aneurism and died. She had told her kids she wanted to be an organ donor, so there was no doubt in their minds. Her gifts saved 4 lives. Her twin sister and children remember a woman who was always interested in other people. As her son says ” It’s like she touched them (the recipients) with a bit of love from herself.” Graeme is just 56. A few days ago he was told that his liver had failed and he would die without a transplant. His only hope is a liver transplant. Hospitals across the country know that he is a priority, but there are no guarantees that an organ will become available. All he can do is wait. Tonight there is a possibility that a donor organ may save him.

Gary is 71 and he needs a heart transplant. Tonight he gets the call that there is a heart available. But his old heart will not be replaced. In a rare operation, the new heart is placed in his chest alongside his own. If all goes well, Gary will soon have 2 hearts.

50-year-old Linda has had a heart condition all her life. Her mother and sister have both passed away from the same disease.

Tonight she is called to hospital for a transplant… but the surgery does not go smoothly…. (Continued next week)

Channel 9 has completely re-arranged their programming for the week commencing September 27. Rather than go through and edit the posts I have written about all their shows in that week so far, I thought it best to sum up here. Therefore, any other post prior to this one WILL be incorrect. [Updated: The Apprentice Australia added]

So, here we go.

1. Despite HUGE promotions, media releases and calls for participants, the two Hey Hey its Saturday reunion specials that were originally slated to air on Tuesday nights Sept 29 and Oct 6 have been moved to Wednesday nights Sept 30 and Oct 7. Both nights, the Hey Hey reunions will start at 7.30 and go right through until 10pm.

The move to Wednesdays is perhaps to avoid having to compete with Packed to the Rafters on 7 and the return of NCIS on 10. It also means that the final episode of the Gift has been pushed back most likely until Oct 13 or perhaps even another time altogether. Also out on Wednesday nights will be Money for Jam, 7.30’s 2.5 Men, RPA and Without a Trace – which performed poorly in terms of average ratings over its 2 hour airing Wed Sept 16. Sept 23 at this stage remains as programmed.

The Hey specials will also be repeated on Saturday nights at 9.30. Good idea that!

2. The Mentalist. After premiering in the US on September 24, we will see the first episode at 8.30pm Monday Sept 28. This places it in direct competition with 7’s much hyped Flash Forward and GO’s The Vampire Diaries. The Mentalist follows new fast tracked Two and a Half Men at 8pm from Monday Sept 28.

Following the Mentalist will be the debut of the Apprentice Australia at 9.30pm.

3. Looks like Tuesday will be movie night, well at least during the two weeks that most states have school holidays. Following on from Shrek 2 being shown on Mon 21^st, Shrek 3 will be aired at 8.30 Tue 29^th. It is followed by (seemingly quite inappropriately) Little Britain at 10.30.

4. New CSI – Season 10 of CSI will debut on Thursday Oct 1 at 8.30. At 9.30 that night, the NRL states see the Grand Final edition of the NRL Footy Show, while the AFL states have a Mentalist repeat followed by Amazing Medical Stories. The Footy Show goes for 2 hours, and can be seen in the AFL states at midnight.

Programming subject to change. Some info here from TV Tonight.

9:00pm – Wednesday, September 16 on Channel Nine

Christine was a twin and a mother of two. She had just had a family holiday, and was incredibly happy. But she suffered a brain aneurism and died. She had told her kids she wanted to be an organ donor, so there was no doubt in their minds. Her gifts saved 4 lives. Her twin sister and children remember a woman who was always interested in other people. As her son says ” It’s like she touched them (the recipients) with a bit of love from herself.” Graeme is just 56. A few days ago he was told that his liver had failed and he would die without a transplant. His only hope is a liver transplant. Hospitals across the country know that he is a priority, but there are no guarantees that an organ will become available. All he can do is wait. Tonight there is a possibility that a donor organ may save him.

Gary is 71 and he needs a heart transplant. Tonight he gets the call that there is a heart available. But his old heart will not be replaced. In a rare operation, the new heart is placed in his chest alongside his own. If all goes well, Gary will soon have 2 hearts.

50-year-old Linda has had a heart condition all her life. Her mother and sister have both passed away from the same disease.

Tonight she is called to hospital for a transplant… but the surgery does not go smoothly…. (Continued next week)

9:00pm – Wednesday, September 9 on Channel Nine

Stacey wanted to be a hairdresser when she grew up, but she never got the chance. At 13 she was waiting for a heart transplant when she died. Incredibly she became an organ donor herself. Her gifts touched the lives of 4 other people. Her mother and three older brothers remember a young girl that knew what it was like to be sick, and would have wanted to help anyone she could. As her brother says “Stacey has gone, but it has helped to know that she has saved other people… I think she would be honored.” This week baby Dylan faces surgery to transplant part of his mother’s liver into his tiny body. But the surgery is not easy, there is severe bleeding, and surgeons need to stop it or he will die.

Simone, who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, gets the call she has been waiting for. Some donor lungs are available. Now she faces the operation that could extend her life with her husband her son.

Graeme is just 56. A few days ago he was told that his liver had failed and he would die without a transplant. His only hope is a liver transplant. Hospitals across the country know that he is a priority, but there are no guarantees that an organ will become available. All he can do is wait. (Continues next week)

9:00pm – Wednesday, September 2 on Channel Nine

Phillipe was just making the transition from boyhood to manhood when he died and became an organ donor. His final gifts saved the lives of 7 people. His mother and father remember a boy that loved life. A gifted rugby player, he wanted to one-day play for the Wallabies. They had no doubts that he would have wanted to be an organ donor. As his father says ” I can’t think of anything more rewarding to give to somebody than life.” Without donors like Phillipe, there is no hope for those waiting for a transplant. But there are never enough organs for all the patients on the waiting lists. Last week we met baby Dylan who needs a new liver, but no suitable organ has become available.

His mother has offered to donate part of her own liver to save her son. Dylan is now so ill, there is no other choice… and the incredibly complex procedure begins. (Continues next week) In Sydney 24 year old Peter is waiting for a heart transplant. Tonight he is called to St. Vincent’s Hospital, an organ is finally available. For this young man there is finally hope.

Simone has Cystic Fibrosis, one of 3000 Australians with the disease. She needs a lung transplant. With a young son, she is desperate to live a longer life, but she knows that one in five people waiting for a transplant will die before an organ becomes available. (Continues next week)

9:00pm – Wednesday, August 26 on Channel Nine

Aaron was just beginning his adult life when he died and became an organ donor. His final gifts saved the lives of 4 people.

Aaron’s mother, sister and stepfather remember a generous, loving young man who had a real sense of fun. They are certain he would have wanted to help others live full lives. And his gifts gave his family some hope in their darkest hours. As his sister says “When you think about these people (that Aaron saved), it’s like this tiny little light inside of you, when the rest of you is dark.” Without donors like Aaron, there is no hope for those waiting for a transplant. Last week Ian and Michael were both waiting for lung transplants. In an extraordinary twist they are each receiving a single lung from the same donor But there are never enough organs to save all those on the waiting list. Baby Dylan needs a liver transplant, but no donor can be found. So his mother Jenny has offered to donate part of her own liver to save her son’s life. It’s a dangerous operation for both mother and son. (Continues next week)

9:00pm – Wednesday, August 19 on Channel Nine

Jack was just nine when he died and became an organ donor. His final gifts saved the lives of 7 people. Jacks parents, brother and sister remember an active boy, with a generous spirit, and a passion for football. They are certain Jack would be proud of the way he has helped others. As his father says ” On the Friday afternoon before he passed away, he jumped in the car and said “We won by 6 goals Dad’ … and I reckon a few days later he was kicking some pretty big goals for other people.” Without donors like Jack, there is no hope for those waiting for a transplant. Last week Kellie received the call she has been waiting for. Tonight, we follow her kidney and pancreas transplant as her husband and young son wait and hope she will get through.

Michael needs a lung transplant, and tonight he may get his chance. He’s called to Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital… some donor lungs are available in Melbourne. As the medical team rushes to retrieve the lungs Michael learns that he will get only one lung.

The donor organs are so healthy that another patient on the list, Ian, will get one also. If all goes to plan, one set of donor lungs will save two lives.

Wednesday, August 12 at 9pm on Channel Nine

Come on a remarkable journey… the ultimate race against time, where every second counts… the race to save lives, with the ultimate gift of life.

The series return of The Gift, hosted by Tara Brown, is remarkable, life-changing television which follows amazing stories of organ donation – from the families of the donors to the people who desperately need a transplant to survive.

In a rare insight into human nature, The Gift profiles people on the list for an organ donation who wait for the call that will rush them to hospital for transplant surgery and an uncertain future. Extraordinary professionals work around the clock to make this happen. Viewers will see complex medical procedures and admire the resilience of a very special group of people who must rely on receiving the organs of others to keep them alive.

Before The Gift went to air, around 1600 Australians were registering each month as organ donors. By the end of the first series, the monthly figured had multiplied nearly 600 per cent to over 9000, a remarkable increase in the number of Australia’s registered organ donors that will save many more lives.

In episode one we meet the family of Tim, a loving husband and father of two beautiful children. At the age of 42, he became a multiple organ donor after being killed in a cycling accident. His wife, brother and children talk about his life, his death and the gift of his organs, which have saved the lives of six people who received his heart, lungs, kidney, liver and pancreas. His wife says, “Tim was such a giving person… I’m sure he would be proud to give in death, as in life.”

It’s the generosity of people like Tim that gives hope to people like James. At 15, he needs new lungs because his own are diseased and failing fast. A donor has been found in Melbourne who could save his life, if the organs can be retrieved in time.

While the wait might be over for James, Kiara, aged five, is still hoping for her big day. She needs a new heart to survive. Kiara wants to be like all the other little girls in her ballet class, but sometimes it’s just too hard. Her condition makes her tired and breathless, so she has to sit and watch.

As a diabetic, Kellie has endured a lifetime of insulin injections. After marrying Reece, doctors advised her not to have children but she desperately wanted to give her husband the chance to be a father. Unfortunately, her pregnancy and the birth of their son have damaged her kidneys, and now she’s on dialysis. She needs a new pancreas and a kidney and she’s about to get the call she’s been patiently waiting for.