SA father of four receives lifesaving organ donation from Charlie Stevens

Charlie Stevens’ family have said their final farewells to the loveable larrikin – but his legacy will live on after giving the ultimate gift to a local dad, who had just a month to live.

The number of registered South Australian organ donors continues to rise as it can be revealed Charlie Stevens’ kidney went to a local father.

It is understood the 42-year-old father who received Charlie’s kidney was on dialysis and given a month to live — but now has a new kidney and another chance at life.

Charlie was farewelled in a poignant, heartbreaking and powerful celebration of his life on Thursday night - but his legacy will live on after giving the ultimate gift to the SA father.

Remembered as a cheeky, loveable ratbag from the moment he was born, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens’s son Charlie donated his organs in a final act of kindness from the teen with a “big heart and big smile”.

“He was incredibly generous and his generosity extended to being an organ donor, something that we talked about with him when he got his driver’s licence,” Mr Stevens said during his eulogy.

Organ and Tissue Authority board member Oren Klemich, who lost his 18-year-old son Jack in 2009 to meningococcal disease and is an organ donor advocate, expects an ongoing spike in organ donor registrations.

“I would be amazed if more people don’t go to the DonateLife website and register after hearing the pleas from the Stevens family,” Mr Klemich said.

“What certainly also will happen is a lot of people when they next receive their driver’s licence renewal if they are not registered will choose to do so.”

Mr Klemich said SA easily led the nation with about 70 per cent of people registered because it was the only jurisdiction where drivers’ licences renewals carried a box to tick to become registered.

“It is important people talk about it so your family knows your wishes,” he said.

“When they do, about nine out of 10 agree to donate, but if they don’t, it is about five out of ten.”

Charlie Stevens was farewelled by more than 1000 mourners on Thursday night, with family remembering him as a one-of-a-kind larrikin with a bright smile and even bigger heart. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Ben Clark

Loved ones packed the Magarey Room at Adelaide Oval to say their goodbyes. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Ben Clark

As of October 31 there were 7,673,409 registered organ donors nationally, including 1,097,092 in SA.

South Australian women led the way with 555,774 registered donors, while there were 541,257 men registered — both were easily the leaders compared to women and men registered in other states and territories per capita.

The national figure includes 6459 people who did not record a gender.

In lieu of flowers at the service, the Stevens family asked people to donate to Operation Flinders, a foundation that works to transform the lives of young people through quality remote outback adventure programs.

The SA government kicked off donations by pledging $100,000 on Thursday and by Friday afternoon the public had donated a further $53,000.

Charlie Stevens’s organs were donated in a final, lifesaving act of generosity.

Operation Flinders Foundation chief executive David Wark said the foundation was “truly humbled by the generosity of the Stevens family”.

“We’re delighted to be the recipients,” Mr Wark said.

“We’ll do everything we possibly can to make sure Charlie’s legacy lives for generations and then sincerely hope that whatever we do, the Stevens family feels very proud of the future.”

Originally published as SA father of four receives lifesaving organ donation from Charlie Stevens