What to Know to Become an Organ Donor

More than 100, 000 people across the country are waiting for donated organs. Donating organs provides you with the opportunity to help those in need feel better and extend their life. If you want to be part of the solutions to the ongoing need for donated organs and tissues, you want to take steps to become a donor after your death. So, how to become an organ donor? Keep reading to know the answer:

Things to Keep in Mind if you Want to be an Organ Donor

• Sign Up on the organ donor registry of your state. If you are serious about donating your organ after your death, register with the organ donor database for your state. It will only take a few minutes to register online. When you die, medical personnel will search the state donor registry and locate your intention to be a donor.

• Sign up in person at your local motor vehicle department. When you get a new driver’s license, you will be asked whether you would like to be an organ donor. If your answer is yes, your license will reflect this choice and your data will be given to your state’s registry.

• Tell your family and friends. If you have documented your intention to donate your organs after you die, your wishes should be honoured no matter the stand of your family or friends. But, to avoid delays and confusions, you must tell others that you really want to donate your organs. Talk the matter with your family members, clergyperson, friends, and healthcare providers. If you fail to document your intention, your next of kin will decide whether or not to donate your organs.

Who Decides If you Didn’t?

Without instructions from you about organ donation, state law decides who will make the decision after you die. If a minor dies, the parents of the child have the right to decide about organ donation. For adults, the right goes to your named healthcare agent, spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, or distant relatives as determined by your state’s laws. To ensure the right to decide about organ donation goes to your preferred person, take your time documenting your own decisions.

Donating your Whole Body

A lot of medical schools and other institutions are looking for donations of whole bodies for research and instruction. If you feel strongly about this, you can make arrangements to donate your body to science by getting in touch with a medical school or whole body donation organization.