Two festive seasons later, he has seen so many milestones and plans on seeing so many more.

After a number of hospital visits that ended in false hope, he underwent a liver transplant in 2020, giving him a new lease on life.

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Back in 2007, Mr Betteridge received some news he would never forget.

"I was a blood donor for a number of years and back then the staff at the LifeBlood Centre told me my blood was clumping together and that I should get that checked out," he said.

"After seeing a number of doctors and specialists, I was told my liver was - in proper medical terms - stuffed.

"I remember my wife and I being so confused because I wasn't a drinker or drug user and here I was with non-alcoholic cirrhosis."

Cirrhosis is a condition in which a person's liver is scarred and permanently damaged, often caused by the aforementioned increase in substance use, hepatitis B and C virus or fatty liver due to obesity and diabetes.

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Mr Betteridge spent the next four years researching what this would mean for him while waiting for the fateful day he would get a new liver.

But unfortunately, there were a few "hiccups" along the way.

"When I went down to the Austin Hospital for kidney stones, a liver actually became available and they were ready to do that surgery as well," he said.

"But it turned out the liver was no better than my current one, so I wasn't able to get it."

Finally in July 2020, he was given the best news he could hope for - a new liver was coming his way.

While he has no idea where his new organ came from, Mr Betteridge says he thinks about his donor and their family often.

"It can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster sometimes," he said.

"There are times when I want to know who this person is and thank their family for the life they've given me, but I also get sad thinking about the life that was lost to help me live on."

And because of this mystery donor, Mr Betteridge said he would not have been able to live out some of his most treasured moments.

"Because of them I got to see a grandson that I never would have seen, my oldest granddaughter go to high school, and my youngest granddaughter become school captain," he said.

"The life that has passed is finished and they're a memory you'll hold forever, but through their passing you can pass life onto someone else."

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Only 26 per cent of the City of Greater Bendigo's eligible population is registered as a donor, a figure below the national average of 36 per cent.

There are about 1750 seriously ill people on Australia's organ transplant wait-list and another 13,000 people on dialysis who may benefit from a kidney transplant, so the demand for organs and tissue has never been greater.

Bendigo Health is encouraging residents to register as organ and tissue donors as part of national DonateLife Week, which kicked off on July 24.

Bendigo nurse donation specialist Bradley Allan said any Australian aged 16 and over could sign up online.

"It only takes one minute to sign up as an organ donor potentially saving up to seven lives and help more through eye and tissue donation," he said.

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"We'd encourage people to talk with their family about their decision because in the hospital discussing organ and tissue donations can be difficult at such an emotional time as the death of a loved one."

And for people who have been through an organ donation themselves or even related to someone who has, there is a support group in Bendigo to help.

Meeting once every few months, member Penny Davies said it was a way to ensure no one feels alone through their journey.

"It can often be quite isolating and we want to make sure anyone that has been through organ donation has someone they know understands what they're going through," she said.

If you'd like to join the support group, you can contact Ms Davies on 0417 530 069.

For more information on DonateLife Week, visit donatelife.gov.au

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