Award-winning local artist Rose Parker releases heartfelt tribute to transplant donors and recipients
Award-winning Western Australian singer-songwriter Rose Parker is set to release a new song that captures the spirit of human generosity through the gift of life.
Her new single, Because of You, is an emotional track that acknowledges both the grief of the donor family and the joy of new life gifted to recipients and their loved ones. The song will be released in conjunction with Transplant Australia in time for DonateLife Thank You Day on Sunday, November 17.
Thank You Day is a national day to reflect and say thanks to those generous Australians and their families who make organ and tissue donation possible.
Parker is not only an acclaimed singer-songwriter but sings her song straight from the heart as a tribute to her brother Tim, who saved two lives through the gift of life.
Already a semi-finalist in the International Unsigned Song Competition, Because of You is a song that Parker has not only written but has lived… in the most profound circumstances.
“The song initially started as a tribute to my brother to honour a decision he’d made,” she explained. “Then, as I wrote it, as the verses progressed, I realised I was writing a story that many other families have also gone through. To me, part of the beauty of writing a song is when you mine your own authentic experience and write it in such a way that it reflects some commonality of our human experience.”
“My brother said to me one day, ‘I’m not gonna need’ em where I’m going, so I’m gonna give ‘em away’. And I said ‘Okay, then, we’ll do it just the way you planned’.”
Three months after her brother’s death, Parker, through her work as an Occupational Therapist, met a heart transplant recipient who was living her best new life.
“Suddenly I knew there was another side of the story,” she said. “I knew that organ donation really helped someone else and gave them literally a second chance of life. She was living, breathing proof, right in front of me. A vivacious 70-year-old, and it was amazing. I almost stopped breathing when she said, ‘Oh, and by the way, I’m a heart transplant recipient’. It was like, ‘Here it is, here it is’.”
The song came about when Parker was approached by Transplant Australia to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the World Transplant Games at Optus Stadium Perth in April 2023. Rose performed Because of You with fellow WA musicians Jim Fisher (himself a transplant recipient) and First Nations singer-songwriter Dan Riches.
Transplant Australia and DonateLife embraced the song from the first demo, and the wheels were indeed set in motion for Parker to record the song at Panda Candy Studios in Perth with Glenn Sarangapany (Birds of Tokyo) in the producer’s seat.
Transplant Australia CEO Chris Thomas said the song resonated with the global transplant community as it “came straight from the heart of someone who believes in the power of the gift of life.”
“Our community has long yearned for an anthem that brings both recipients and donor families together in honour and celebration. Because of Rose and her song, the importance of donation will resonate worldwide through this inspiring song. Most importantly, it brings hope to the 1,800 Australians currently waiting for a life-saving transplant.”
Now a registered organ donor herself, Parker also sees the song as an uplifting call to action.
“I hope it will prompt people to have the conversation with loved ones and to deeply consider going to the DonateLife website and registering. It’s a big conversation that you want to have, not in the trauma of a grief-filled moment. As we all know from every movie we’ve seen and every book we’ve ever read, you never think it’s going to happen to you.”
Rose Parker’s new single Because of You is out on all streaming platforms on Friday, November 15, ahead of DonateLife Thank You Day Sunday, November 17, 2024. Register as an organ and tissue donor today at www.donatelife.gov.au and talk to your family about your decision.
Photo by Tashi Hall