Mohammad Rezaee says everyone who knew his wife knew her smile.
"She had such a generous character, always wanted to give to people, help people, look after people. To be honest, everyone knew the great character she had," he told SBS News.
Mohammad had married his wife Arghavan Khazrai in Tehran before the couple settled in Australia in 2012.
Arghavan worked as a dental nurse in Melbourne, but also had dreams of becoming a model.
Mohammad had encouraged her to have her first professional photos taken, but she would never get to see them published.
Arghavan Khazrai, who died suddenly aged 34, had dreams of becoming a model. Source: SBS News
"They took her to hospital and I still had hope, 'something will change', but as soon as I went to the hospital they told me that overnight she became brain dead," Mohammad said.
"Her body was so healthy … but she had passed away."
'Some parts of her are still in this world'
In that moment of loss, Mohammad made the decision his wife would become an organ donor.
"I was a little worried that maybe Arghavan wasn't happy with this decision because it was very hard at that point of time to make the call.
"That's why I said it's very important that if she had consent at least it's much easier for me to make the call.
"But I knew that she had such a generous, giving nature, helping everyone. I knew she'd be ."
His wife's act of giving in death has given up to seven organ recipients a future they wouldn't have had.
"If even I don't see those people, I know that her body, the things I love from the bottom of my heart, some parts of those are still in this world."
The best match is someone from your cultural background
Currently, around 1,800 Australians are , and a further 14,000 on dialysis for kidney failure.
Data from DonateLife shows four in five Australians support donation, but just one in three are registered to be donors.
At the start of DonateLife Week, which runs from 28 July until 4 August, Australians are being encouraged to register as organ and tissue donors, to potentially save the lives of many others — and so their families aren't left to make a difficult decision.
Every major religion supports organ and tissue donation, says DonateLife. Source: Supplied
"For families in this position, it is the worst moment in their life, and so if you've registered to be a donor, it means that your family don't need to make that decision. They're just fulfilling your wishes at the end of your life.
"You take some of that stress off families by being registered."
DonateLife is also raising awareness among multicultural and multi-faith communities, with the group saying every major religion supports organ and tissue donation.
"None of us know whether we're going to be in need of a transplant at some point in our life, and that cuts across all multicultural communities in Australia.
"So we need every community to talk about donation, register if they want to be a donor, and we also know the best match is often someone from your cultural background."
Mohammad is now raising seven-year-old Hannah and three-year-old Jana — helped by the knowledge his wife's generosity lives on.
Mohammad Rezaee with his two daughters, seven-year-old Hannah and three-year-old Jana. Source: SBS News
"To be honest I was crying and I was so happy that we could help some people.
"I'm sure Arghavan would be happy as well, and I'm sure the kids … once they grow up and understand, they'll be proud of their mum."
