Why Donate life?

HEATHER Aranyosi was the epitome of a great mother. Alongside Ian, her husband of 36 years, she reared four children (Belinda, 34, Brandon, 32, James, 27 and Cassie, 26) into upstanding adults and was enjoying life as a grandmother of eight.

Like all good mothers, Heather religiously put her own needs last and her family’s needs first. She was the consummate organiser that kept everybody in check. She never stopped giving.

On May 19th, 2019 the Bannockburn (near Geelong, Victoria) mum succumbed to injuries sustained in a horrific road accident two days earlier. But Heather Aranyosi’s giving didn’t end there.

That’s because Heather was a registered organ donor with Donate Life. Ian takes up the harrowing, yet inspirational story.

“She passed away on the 19th of May – which was my 59th birthday so the 60th is going to be hard – and they did the transplants two days later, on the 21st.

“When I nodded to say we were going ahead, a lady ran out of the room and ran downstairs,” Ian explicitly told us. “Later, when I was signing all the documents I asked the nurse, and she said she had to run down because there was a lady that had given up and told the nurses the night before that she had had enough and she wanted to go. They told her that she had to hang on for another day-and-a-half because we have a liver, which was Heather’s. Apparently she had had four attempts that had not worked out. She is the only one I am not sure if she’s gone home though”.

“I know the woman that got Heather’s heart was a 26-year-old that had a three-month-old baby. She got some major heart defect and thought she was never going home to be with her baby and her husband. Two weeks after the transplant, she was home playing with her baby – it is just amazing!” Ian openly said, the pride in his wife’s everlasting generosity obvious.

He continues: “I would love to meet her, but legally in Australia you are not allowed to know who receives the donations. You can in America. There is a Facebook page now that I am a part of, and I hope one day I am able to meet that lady.”

On the day of Heather’s passing her organs saved five lives, although Ian is quick to advise: “But there is skin tissue, which is apparently very important later on for fire victims. Donor tissue, if it’s the right match, is more successful with less infection and Heather was a tissue donor as well.”

Clearly, amidst the profound grief, Ian Aranyosi is finding solace in the legacy left by his wife. But it’s a cause that needs greater awareness.

Current statistics reveal that just 33 percent of the adult population in Australia have registered to donate their organs, with Victoria sitting near the bottom of the list with just 19 percent. Furthermore, there are currently 1,551 people on an organ transplant wait list.

But inroads are being made, with pledges of organ donation more than doubling since the Australian Government launched their Donate Life program in 2009. More can be done however.

It’s obviously a deeply personal decision to make, but to understand what organ donation means to a recipient look no further than the November 2019 issue of Oval Express and the compelling story of Queensland Sprintcar racer Bryan Mann. Meanwhile, and to keep it in the speedway family, Victorian media identity Geoff Rounds is yet another glowing testament of what a donated kidney can provide.

It’s this human element that inspires Ian Aranyosi, although he is keen to make known a key point regarding the process. “Heather and I signed up about 15 years ago, when it was on your licence, and automatically thought that it just kept going. But about half of them slipped through and we found out that Heather’s was still current, but mine wasn’t. So, you need to double-check, which is one of the points we want to get through.”

This point will be publicly and stunningly presented to the speedway world at this year’s Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic when, at the popular Fan Appreciation Day, the covers come off James Aranyosi’s striking Donate Life #V56 Maxim. And with the insignia ‘MUM’ emblazoned across the car’s wing, it will be an emotional time for the whole Aranyosi clan who will be in Warrnambool for the occasion.

“I’m proud of what we have done and what mum has achieved,” offered James, while quick to add of the looming occasion: “I think there might be a few tears though.” Meanwhile, Ian chimed in: “There will be a few tears on the push cart, I know that”.

“But it is what she would have wanted,” he continues with obvious pride. “She would be happy that this is all going on, but she wouldn’t be happy that she is the centre of attention. She wasn’t one for even getting her photo taken, but she would love that we are doing the awareness thing.”

And bringing awareness to the need for adults to consider signing up for organ donation is what the Aranyosis are all about. A special Donate Life link (www.donatelife.gov.au/sprintcars) has been set up purposely for their campaign.

 It’s a cause that James’ elder brother Brandon, who incidentally seems to have assumed the role as new family organiser these days, would love to see the speedway community embrace. “We don’t have a goal, but we know 10 people have already registered and that equates to 50 organs. So, if we get 100 people to sign up, that’s 500 organs!”

Ian added: “Of the people that are registered, only two percent of those will ever do it, because you have to die before a certain age to do it and of those two percent only half of those are successful transplants.

“So, there is a very small amount that get through which is why we need as many people registered as possible. Look, nobody wants to die, and we don’t want anybody to die, but people need to realise that you have to die in a very specific way where organ donation is possible”.

“We are all now on board,” he motioned of his family. “And that is one of the big things: we need people to check. We’re not saying everybody has to do it, but if you want to do it you have to check you are on the register.”

The Aranyosis are self-confessed speedway tragics, Ian enthusiastically reciting that this year’s Classic will be his 45th in succession, while Brandon and James reckon they’ve never missed one since the day they were born.

Heather also enjoyed speedway and loved nothing more than being a part of James’ racing exploits across Junior Sedans, Formula 500s and now Sprintcars. But while her son achieved plenty – in particular in F500s where he most notably is a dual Victorian and four-time ACT Titlist, as well as the 2012 Australia #2 – Ian smiles as he recalled Heather’s race day rituals.

“She had a cross always around her neck and whenever James went out she would hang onto it and give it a kiss. She never missed a night, but she would spend half the time going to the toilet and the other half hanging onto the cross. She used to be a wreck on race day!”

In recent times James has been forced to curb his racing endeavours, largely due to his new vocation as a full-time fireman. In addition, he and wife Ashlee (incidentally, a handy F500 racer in her own right!) recently became first time parents with the birth of Caleb just one month prior to Heather’s tragic accident.

Given the litany of distractions, on-track results at the 2020 GASC won’t be quite as important as raising awareness to organ donation for the Aranyosi team, Brandon putting forth: “We just want James to have fun and enjoy it and whatever happens, happens.”

Whatever happens in Warrnambool in late January, Heather Aranyosi would be immensely proud of her family. She’d also be proud of the fighting qualities and resilience of Cassie, her youngest progeny, and grandson Hamish, who both survived the horrific head-on smash in Cressy on that fateful day.

While Cassie received life-threatening injuries of her own (shattered pelvis, broken back in three places, etc.), six-month-old Hamish remarkably emerged from the wreckage uninjured.

“He was in his capsule and when a lady opened the door he was crying,” relayed Ian. “Cassie said to her to get him out, so the lady unbuckled him and lifted him up and he laughed at her!”

This miraculous escape and the obvious effectiveness of young Hamish’s Maxi-Cosi capsule has led to Cassie being invited to partake in a road safety advertising campaign promoting the virtues of a quality, well-fitted baby capsule.

Unquestionably, it has been the most wretched of times for the recently semi-retired Ian Aranyosi who ruefully recited: “Heather took two years to convince me to close the workshop (North Geelong Auto Electrics) and buy a caravan. We bought a brand new one, were starting to slow down, but only went off for two weekends. After the accident, I never went to the caravan for five months, just couldn’t even bear to go in”.

“Your life is tipped upside down in a split second and I now think when your time is up, your time is up – regardless,” he continues. “I’m not a religious man but I believe there is something to it. Heather looked after us all, she set us up, and now she is needed somewhere else to organise them. But we sure miss her organisation”.

“I am just so proud of her. All she used to do is help people, and now she is still helping people, even though she isn’t here,” Ian eloquently concluded of his wife.

At the 2020 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic the Donate Life #V56 will be a stunning celebration of Heather Aranyosi’s life. At the same time it will bring awareness on speedway’s biggest stage to a great cause that was exceedingly dear to her heart.

Those who would like to support Heather’s legacy by registering to Donate Life can do so at: www.donatelife.gov.au/sprintcars

Words: Phil Jordison