Donating an organ to save the life of a relative is one thing, but going through the ordeal for a workmate would be a bridge too far for most people.
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But not for real estate agent Cory McPherson, who in 2007 donated a kidney to then colleague Jenny McReynolds at Luton Properties.
Mrs McReynolds suffered from inherited polycystic kidney disease for years before she went into renal failure early in 2007.
After she had spent 12 months on dialysis, Mr McPherson offered to give her one of his kidneys. The gift was prompted by a throwaway line from their boss at the office Christmas party.
"He said: 'If you don't know, Jenny's sick; she needs a kidney transplant. If you're O positive let her know'," Mr McPherson said.
"Pretty much instantly I went up to Jenny and said 'I'm your man'.
"I think she thought I was joking, initially.
"I don't see it as anything over the top ... at the end of the day, it could be tomorrow that I walk out in front of a bus."
Seven years on, the pair no longer work together but catch up regularly, especially on December 4 each year, when they go out for dinner to mark the anniversary of the transplant.
"Corey had to go through a lot of medical stuff, so he was certainly amazing what he did," Mrs McReynolds said.
"His dedication was unbelievable ... he saved my life.
"I've never been better; in the seven years since, I've been so healthy and so well."
The pair shared their story in the lead-up to the ninth annual Gift of Life DonateLife Walk on February 25 with the hope it prompts people to discuss organ donation with their loved ones.
Last year, 35 Canberrans received 42 organs from 11 deceased donors, figures released by the Australia and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry and the Organ and Tissue Authority show.
The numbers were up on 2013, when 23 people received 25 organs from six donors.
Australia-wide there was 3 per cent drop in the number of donors to 378, but 1117 people received a record 1193 organs, a 1 per cent increase on 2013.
Mrs McReynolds' mother died from the same kidney disease at the age of 62, her 21-year-old daughter, Danielle, also has the disease, meaning she too will need a kidney transplant one day and, in a bizarre twist, a fellow Luton employee, Kelly Cooper, is about to begin dialysis for the same condition.
"Being on dialysis is so difficult; it does keep you alive, but it's a tough existence," Mrs McReynolds said.
"[Waiting for an organ] is such a stress for families. It's a really difficult time, particularly for people who need a liver, heart or lungs. I had the alternative of dialysis; they don't even have that alternative."
Although Mrs McReynolds acknowledges it is difficult for families to decide to donate a loved one's organs, she hopes people will consider doing that and make their wishes known.
The free Gift of Life DonateLife Walk will begin at Regatta Point at 7am on Wednesday, February 25.
To register, visit giftoflife.asn.au.
