Frequently Asked Questions

Organ/Tissue Donation and Registry

What is National Donate Life Month?
What is organ and tissue donation?
Why is donation important?
What organs and tissues can I donate?
What is brain death?
What is cardiac death?
Will my decision to donate affect the quality of my medical care?
Can a person be too old or sick to donate?
What medical conditions prohibit donation?
Will donation disfigure my body?
Will donation affect memorial or funeral arrangements?
Will my family be charged if my organs are donated?  Are there any costs for donation?
Does the family receive any money for the donation?
Can my body be donated for the study of science after donation of organs and tissues?
Does my religion approve of donation?
What happens to my donated organs and tissues?
How are organs allocated?
Can I direct a donation?
How can I help?
How can I become a donor?
Do I have to sign a donor card or my driver’s license?
How can I make my wish known?
Do I have to tell my family?
What is the Organ Donor Registry?
How can I join the Missouri Organ Donor Registry?
What does the Department of Health and Senior Services do with the information?
What if I joined years ago, but my information has changed?
What if I’m not a Missouri resident?
What is an advance directive for health care choices?
Do I have to have an advance directive for health care choices to be a donor?
What is the Missouri Organ Donor Trust Fund?
How can I make a donation to the Trust Fund?
What is National Minority Donor Awareness Day?
What is National Donor Sabbath?

What is National Donate Life Month?
National Donate Life Month is observed in April and was announced by President Bush in 2003. The month is a time to raise public awareness of the critical need for organ, tissue, marrow, and blood donation. The recognition during the month of April grew from the “National Organ Donation Week” that was declared by Congress in 1983. By changing the observance to a month, it underscores the importance of donation.

What is organ and tissue donation?
After a person has died, transplantable organs and tissue can be donated to help the lives of individuals in need.

Why is donation important?
Currently, more than 92,000 people nationally are waiting for a life saving organ transplant. In Missouri, more than 1,900 people are waiting for a transplant. Since 1988, over 9,000 Missouri residents have received an organ transplant. Tragically, people die each year because the need for donated organs and tissue is greater than the supply.

What organs and tissue can I donate?
Vital organs and tissue can be donated for transplantation. Organ donation is an option for people who have been declared legally dead by brain death criteria. Tissue donation is an option for people who have been declared legally dead by brain or cardiac criteria.

• Organs – heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, and small intestine.
• Tissue – cornea of the eyes, skin, bone, bone marrow, heart valves, blood vessels, and tendons.

What is brain death?
Brain death results from a severe, irreversible injury to the brain. All areas of the brain are damaged and no longer function. In situations of brain death, a person cannot sustain their own life, but vital body functions may be maintained in an intensive care unit for a short period of time. This maintains circulation to the vital organs long enough to facilitate organ donation. People who experience brain death can also donate tissue.

What is cardiac death?
Cardiac death results when the heart and breathing cease to function. All organs and tissue in the body suffer from a lack of oxygen circulation and die. People who experience cardiac death are able to donate tissue after their death.

Will my decision to donate affect the quality of my medical care?

• NO. Organ and tissue recovery takes place only after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared. The quality of care that an individual receives prior to death is not altered.
• Medical personnel must follow strict guidelines before death can be pronounced and organs and tissues are removed from a donor.
• The doctors working to save your life are entirely separate from the medical team involved in recovering your organs and tissue.

Can a person be too old or sick to donate?

• NO. People of all ages may be an organ and tissue donor.
• Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated.
• A physician will decide whether your organs and tissue can be transplanted.

What medical conditions prohibit donation?
Each potential donor is evaluated for the presence of conditions or illnesses that might put the transplant recipients at risk. The only, absolute, contraindications to donation are the presence of HIV infection and/or active hepatitis infection. All other medical conditions are evaluated individually at the time of donation. Many people with chronic medical problems have safely donated vital organs and tissue.

Will donation disfigure my body?

• NO. Donation does not disfigure the body or change the way it looks in a casket.
• It does not delay funeral arrangements.

Will donation affect memorial or funeral arrangements?

• NO. Generally, donation does not delay funeral or memorial services.
• Donation does not prevent an open casket funeral.

Will my family be charged if my organs are donated?  Are there any costs for donation?

• NO.  Donation costs nothing to the donor’s family or estate. Organ and tissue donation is a gift. The family of a donor does not pay any hospital or physician fees associated with the organ and tissue donation.
• The family is responsible for funeral and burial costs.
• Organ and tissue recovery costs are the responsibility of the organ or tissue recipient.

Does the family receive any money for the donation?

• NO. It is illegal to buy or sell human organs or tissue.
• Organ and tissue donation is a gift.
• The family receives no payment or reimbursement for donation.

Can my body be donated for the study of science after donation of organs and tissue?
YES. But, each academic institution has its own guidelines about accepting body donations. Not all academic institutions will accept body donations after organ and tissue donation. If you are interested in body donation it is recommended that you check with the academic institutions you wish to support. They can answer specific questions about organ and tissue donation and pre-arrange the donation of your body for the advancement of science.

Does my religion approve of donation?

• Most religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it a gift, an act of charity.
• If you have any questions, contact your religious advisor.

What happens to my donated organs and tissue?

• Patients receive organs and tissue based upon blood type, length of time on the waiting list, severity of illness, and other medical criteria.
• Age, race, gender, income, or celebrity status is not considered when determining who receives an organ or tissue.
• Buying and selling organs is against the law!

How are organs allocated?

• A national allocation system ensures the fair distribution of organs in the United States. To learn more visit www.unos.org/policiesandbylaws2/policies/pdfs/policy_70.pdf.
• People eligible to receive organs are identified based upon many factors including blood type, length of time on waiting list, severity of illness, and other medical criteria.
• Race, gender, age, income, or celebrity status is not considered when determining who receives an organ transplant. Additionally, the law strictly prohibits buying and selling of organs for transplantation.

Can I direct a donation?

• It is permissible to specify an individual to receive a donated organ. If the organ is a suitable match for a person who is waiting for a transplant, they can receive the transplant as a gift.
• You can only direct a donation to a specific individual.
• You cannot specify a donation on the basis of age, gender, or race. This would bypass the fair allocation system that currently exists.

How can I help?

• Decide if you want to become an organ and tissue donor.
• Join the Missouri Organ Donor Registry (www.missouriorgandonor.com).
• Be sure to sign your driver’s license with a permanent marker.
• Complete an organ donor card instead of, or in addition to, your drivers license and carry it with you. The card, completed by you, indicates your wishes to be a donor.
• Tell your family and friends about your decision.
• Encourage others to sign up to be an organ donor.
• Donate to the Organ Donor Trust Fund (www.dhss.mo.gov/OrganDonor).

How can I become a donor?

• You should consider yourself a potential organ and tissue donor.
• Your medical condition and circumstances of your death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated.
• In Missouri, at the time of your death, your legal next-of-kin will be asked about your desire to donate.
• You can also sign a donor card, include your name on the Missouri Organ Donor Registry, and sign the back of your Missouri Driver’s License with a permanent marker.

Do I have to sign a donor card or my driver’s license?

NO. Signing a donor card or your driver’s license are two ways to express your intent to be a donor. If you do not want to sign a donor card, you can still donate. In Missouri, your family will be asked to consent for donation on your behalf.

How can I make my wish known?

Communication is the key!

Tell your family. They can be your advocate should you become a donor candidate. Telling your family helps facilitate donation because in Missouri, consent for donation occurs after your death. At the time of your death, your legal next-of-kin will be asked about your desire to donate. The more indications your family has about your desire to donate, the easier it is for them to carry out your wish. If you choose not to let them know, they may not carry out your wish. It is possible to document your consent for donation in a legal document such as an advance directive for health care choices found in the Life Choices Booklet by the Missouri Attorney General Office or at www.ago.mo.gov/publications/lifechoices/lifechoises.pdf.

• Talk to your faith leader, friends, and physician about your desire to be a donor.
• Sign your driver’s license with a permanent marker every time you renew your license.
• Join the Missouri Organ Donor Registry (www.missouriorgandonor.com). You are not required to be on the registry to be a donor. It’s just another tool for you to express to loved ones your wish to be a donor.
• Include donation in your advance directive for health care choices, however, if your family is unaware of your advance directive for health care choices, they may be unable to carry out your wish.

Do I have to tell my family?

• NO. But, telling your family helps facilitate donation because the consent of donation occurs after your death.
• At the time of your death, your legal next-of-kin will be asked about your desire to donate.
• The more indications your family has about your desire to donate, the easier it is for them to carry out your wish.
• If you choose not to let them know, they may not carry out your wish.
• It is possible to document your consent for donation in a legal document such as an advance directive for health care choices. However, if your family is unaware of your advance directive for health care choices, they may be unable to carry out your wish.

What is the Organ Donor Registry?

The Organ Donor Registry is a statewide voluntary, confidential, registry of potential organ and tissue donors that was established by legislation in 1996. Upon the time of your death, only authorized hospital personnel can access the registry to determine if you wanted to be an organ and tissue donor. Your desires are then shared with your family so that they can make the final decision for you.

• Missouri state law created the registry in 1996 to promote organ and tissue donation.
• The registry is a list of individuals who have signed up to be a potential donor.
• Participation is voluntary.
• Information is kept confidential.
• Authorized hospital personnel access the registry at the time of your death to determine if you are listed and wished to be a donor. Your desires are then shared with your family so that they can make the final decision.

How can I join the Missouri Organ Donor Registry?

• You can directly enroll into the registry on-line by visiting www.missouriorgandonor.com. You simply fill in the form and submit it electronically. Be sure all fields are completed. The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) will send you a confirmation letter to let you know that your record is entered.
• Second, you can register when you get your driver's license anywhere in the state. When you get your driver’s license renewed, inform the agent that you want to be an organ donor. You will be asked if you want your name put on the registry as a potential organ donor. Just say, "Yes". They should ask you, but just in case they don’t, simply inform the agent that you want to be an organ donor. Approximately 6,000 to 10,000 people sign up for the registry each week this way. The Missouri Department of Revenue transfers the information each week to the registry database maintained by DHSS. If your name is already in the registry because you signed up years ago, DHSS will update your record if needed. If you are not in the registry, DHSS will make a new record with your information.
• Or, you can download the enrollment form from the web, complete it, and mail the form to the Department of Health and Senior Services, Organ Donor Registry, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570. DHSS will send you a confirmation letter to let you know that your record is entered.

What does the Department of Health and Senior Services do with the information?
The Department of Health and Senior Services stores your information in a confidential, voluntary registry. At the time of your death, a healthcare professional will ask your family about organ and tissue donation. Even though you may have signed up to be a donor, your family will still have to consent for donation on your behalf. If you haven't talked with your family members about organ and tissue donation, they may not know what to do. In that case, the registry can help. Approved staff from an organ procurement organization will contact the Department of Health and Senior Services to check the registry for your name. Mid-America Transplant Service, one of the organ procurement organizations in Missouri, found that between June and November of 2002, families of 156 donors out of 189 Missouri registry participants agreed to organ and tissue donation on behalf of their loved one. Of the other 33 donors, families were undecided or said "no" to donation until they learned that their loved one was in the Organ Donor Registry and then consented to donation. Those 189 donors helped as many as 900 people across the nation through lifesaving organ transplants and several thousand people through tissue and corneal (cornea of the eyes) transplants.

What if I joined years ago, but my information has changed?
Go ahead and have the driver’s license office mark your record that you want to be an organ donor. The Department of Health and Senior Services will update your record in the registry or complete the on-line enrollment form (www.missouriorgandonor.com), which will also update your information.

What if I’m not a Missouri resident?
For information on how to enroll in your state, visit www.donatelife.net. This is a very easy site to navigate. Just click on your state and you will be directed to a site that contains information on how to become an organ donor.

What is an advance directive for health care choices?
An advance directive for health care choices is the legal document that outlines your wishes concerning medical care at or near the time of your death. An advance directive for health care choices is the highest legal authority to grant consent for your donation, provided you have outlined your intent to donate. Typically, advance directive for health care choices prohibit the use of intensive care interventions. However, if you wish to be a vital organ donor, the document must specify that intensive care interventions are authorized for the purpose of organ donation.

Do I have to have an advance directive for health care choices to be a donor?
NO. Simply tell your family, including your legal next-of-kin of your intent to be a donor. An advance directive for health care choices, for the purpose of donation, is only beneficial in circumstances where the legal next-of-kin will not endorse your intent to donate.

What is the Missouri Organ Donor Trust Fund?

• The fund was established to maintain the registry and to provide organ donation education.
• The fund is strictly supported by voluntary donations.
• No State General Revenue Funds can be contributed to the Missouri Organ Donor Fund.

How can I make a donation to the Trust Fund?
There are several ways that you can donate to the fund:

• Download, complete, and mail in a donation form at www.dhss.mo.gov\OrganDonor.
• Donate $1 when you renew your driver’s license.
• Donate $1 when you renew your license plates.
• Purchase a specialty Organ Donor license plate. In order to purchase an Organ Donor License plate, a $25 donation is required for a one-year plate, and $50 donation for a two-year plate. Learn more about the plate at www.dhss.mo.gov/organdonor/GenericPlateLetterDHSS.pdf.
• Contact the program directly (organdonor@dhss.mo.gov) or call the toll free number (888-497-4564).

What is National Minority Donor Awareness Day?
National Minoriy Donor Awareness Day (August 1, 2008) reaches out to minorities and focuses on the various fears and obstacles associated with donation, encourages healthy living and disease prevention, and promotes life-saving organ, eye and tissue donation.

What is National Donor Sabbath?
Observed two weekends before Thanksgiving as members of faith communities focus on the life-affirming gifts of hope passed to others by organ, eye, tissue, marrow and blood donors. Many faith leaders participate in services and programs to educate their congregations about donation and transplantation and the critical need for donors. Contact Isaac Ruffin for more information or to obtain a reference booklet at 913-262-1668.