| People of all ages and
medical histories should consider themselves potential
donors. The medical condition of the donor at the time
of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated. |
| Organ and tissue donation
becomes an option only after all life-saving measures have
been taken and death has been declared. The decision to
donate does not interfere with your medical care. |
| Consent for donation
is confirmed, and the family is asked to participate in
the process by providing a medical history. |
| Surgical procedures
are used to recover donated organs and tissues. Donation
does not delay or change funeral arrangements, and an open
casket is possible. |
| All major religions
support organ and tissue donation. |
| There is no cost to
a donor’s family or estate for organ and tissue donation. |
| Organs are distributed
based on medical information like blood type, body size
and tissue type matching through a national computer network
operated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
It is illegal to distribute organs based on non-medical
information such as wealth, citizenship or celebrity status. |
| It is illegal to buy or sell
organs and tissue in the United States. |
| Donated organs, including
the heart, pancreas, kidneys, liver, lungs, and intestines
restore life. |
| Tissue is needed to replace
bone, tendons, and ligaments lost to trauma, cancer and
other diseases in order to improve strength, mobility and
independence. Corneas are needed to restore sight. Skin
grafts help burn patients heal, and often mean the difference
between life and death. Heart valves repair cardiac defects
and damage. |
| It is possible to donate a
kidney, partial liver, lung or pancreas as a living donor. |
