But turn back the clock five years and he was “ready to go”, knocking on death’s door after many torturous years living with pulmonary fibrosis – a disease that scarred his lungs and starved his body of oxygen.

After the effectiveness of a drug trial started to wane, Mr Tenison needed a miracle.

It came in the form of a phone call in the early hours of a spring morning. Rushed to Wagga airport at 3am, he was on a flight to two new lungs after just six weeks on a waiting list.

“I was one of the lucky ones,” he said. 

“I’ve got a hell of a lot of people to thank. I’d only given myself about three weeks left to live, and I definitely wouldn’t have made it to Christmas.”

As it turns out, Mr Tenison was home before Christmas – with the gift of life – after a successful operation at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney.

“My donor, I don’t know who he is, but was told he was responsible for saving four lives,” he said.

“I owe him my life.

“Big time.”

Mr Tenison has for years sought to raise the profile of organ donation in Wagga.

And his efforts are set to receive a boost over coming months, with the Rotary Club of Wagga launching a new campaign, supported by The Daily Advertiser, to raise awareness of organ donation.

Rotary’s community services chairman, Graeme Callander, said the club was inspired after last year helping a Philippine migrant to Wagga, Rex Flores, find a new kidney and, eventually, a new lease on life.

“We could not stand by and do nothing while we’ve got this very low rate of organ donation in this country,” he said. 

“It’s not good enough to just be on the register, you have to have a discussion with your family.”

Mr Callander said more than one third of families refuse the organ donation decisions of their loved ones.

“The refusal is generally because they are not familiar with the donor’s wishes,” he said. “That’s why you must have the conversation with your family. The last thing you do in life can be something amazing.”

According to Donate Life, more than 1500 Australians are waiting for a transplant.

To become an organ donor, visit donatelife.gov.au.