The face of the national A Gracious Gift organ donation campaign, Will has been nominated for the Personal Courage Award, with the winners to be announced on August 6.

This time last year, Will was hospitalised and on the waiting list for a heart and double lung transplant and there was a real fear he would not survive until Christmas.

He received his ‘gift’ in October and recently returned to work in Sydney and celebrated his 21st birthday.

Will told the Times he was “incredibly surprised” to have been nominated for the National Youth Awards which are an Australian Government initiative to celebrate, acknowledge and recognise young people.

“I'd be honoured to win, but there's a lot of courageous people out there,” he added.

Following a roller coaster year, Will said his recovery had been “amazing”.

“I've had fundamental complications, which are to be expected for all recipients, but I've come out on top,” he said.

“I've been busy back at work with the same advertising and media agency, UM, and I've been doing everything a normal young adult does, and more.

“Normality is all I wished for and I've been lucky enough to get it.”

Will is continuing to campaign for organ donation awareness and significant changes to Australia’s hospital system to ensure more lives are saved.

“We need national reform within hospital systems to be expedited so the needless suffering is ended and our fellow Australians stop losing their lives,” he said.

In June last year, Will founded A Gracious Gift, after looking into Australia’s organ donation system.

It became his mission to do all he could to change the system and save his and other lives and his campaign has had an impact around the country.

“When you're scared for your life you do anything and everything you can in your control to survive,” he explained.

“Australia is improving, but at a very slow rate.

“The real issue is, the people relying on the system don't have time to wait.

“The Spanish still transplant twice as many organs; their system is a proven solution so we must implement proven practice.

“All we need to do is implement the proven system that was documented then approved in 2008.”

Will is campaigning with the ShareLife group and said if everyone was “as passionate as the people in Ulladulla we wouldn't have an issue”.

“It's the best place on earth - I'm still amazed by the community’s support they gave when I was sick,” he said.

“I was truly the luckiest unlucky person alive.”

He said his transformation following the operation was “indescribable” and he hoped changes were put in place “so that thousands of other Australians get to experience life like this”.

Will is encouraging people to register their organs.

“Please make sure you don't bury your healthy organs,” he said.

“Make your wishes known to your loved ones and register to become an organ donor today.”

He also said pressure needed to be placed on the government for change.

“People need to know that it is not the public who's responsible for the (organ) shortage, but a small group of people who are steering the ship.”