Organ and Tissue Donation FAQ

Q. How do I become an organ donor?

Organ Donation FAQ

A. If you have decided that organ and tissue donation is something that you want to do, make your wishes known. Talk to family members and tell them what you want to do. You will also want to amend any wills or funeral plans. Organ Donors can make their wishes known to emergency and hospital staff by carrying a donor card. In some states, there is a place on your driver's license or state ID card that designates you are a donor. Check with your local DMV or DPS about the laws in your state.

To learn more about organ and tissue donation visit Life Gift. You can print an organ donor card off of the U.S. Health Department web site on organ donation.

Q. Are there age limits for donors?

A. There are no age limitations on who can be an organ donor. Physical condition is the deciding factor on whether a person can be a donor, not age. Everyone can be a donor; even newborns and seniors can help others by being an organ donor. Age is not a factor in some transplants; the skin of a senior can be used to provide a graft for a severely burned toddler.

Q. What organs and tissues can I donate?

A. Organs that can be donated to others in need include: heart, lungs, liver, intestines, kidneys, and pancreas. Tissues that may be donated are: corneas, connective tissue, skin, heart valves, and blood vessels. Bone marrow may also be harvested and given to those in need.

Q. Can donors still have open casket funerals?

A. Donation does not affect the way the body looks and does not interfere with having an open casket funeral.

Q. Can donors still have open casket funerals?

A. Donation does not affect the way the body looks and does not interfere with having an open casket funeral.

Q. Does being an organ donor affect the level of care received at a hospital?

A. Some wonder if being a donor affects the lengths doctors will go to save your life. Organ donors receive the same level of care at the hospital as anybody else. You will receive life-saving measures if you wish, whether or not you have a donor card. Donation procedures will only begin after all possible efforts to save your life have been exhausted and you are legally declared dead.

Q. How many people are on the waiting lists for an organ transplant?

A. The need for organs far outreaches the current availability. More people are added to the list to receive a transplant than to the list of available donors each year. Current numbers can be viewed at The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Q. How are organs distributed?

A. Donors and recipients are matched based on a number of factors including: blood and tissue typing, urgency of need, time on the waiting list, and geographic distance from donor.

Q. Is the organ donation system fair?

A. The National Transplant Act established a national computer system for organ sharing. Organs are distributed based on match, need, and availability. The donated organs are distributed in a way as to allow equal access for all patients awaiting a transplant.