Organ Donation Myths

Myth: If I agree to donate my organs, the hospital staff won't work as hard to save my life. Fact: When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life — not somebody else's. You'll be seen by a doctor whose specialty most closely matches your particular emergency. The doctor in charge of your care has nothing to do with transplantation.

Myth: Maybe I won't really be dead when they sign my death certificate. Fact: Although it's a popular topic in the tabloids, in reality, people don't start to wiggle their toes after they're declared dead. In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation are given more tests (at no charge to their families) to determine that they're truly dead than are those who haven't agreed to organ donation.

Myth: I'm under age 18. I'm too young to make this decision. Fact: That's true, in a legal sense. But your parents can authorize this decision. You can express to your parents your wish to donate, and your parents can give their consent knowing that it's what you wanted. Children, too, are in need of organ transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than those an adult can provide.

Myth: An open-casket funeral isn't an option for people who have donated organs or tissues. Fact: Organ and tissue donation doesn't interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The donor's body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of organ or tissue donation. For bone donation, a rod is inserted where bone is removed. With skin donation, a very thin layer of skin similar to a sunburn peel is taken from the donor's back. Because the donor is clothed and lying on his or her back in the casket, no one can see any difference.

Myth: I'm too old to donate. Nobody would want my organs. Fact: There's no defined cutoff age for donating organs. Organs have been successfully transplanted from donors in their 70s and 80s. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Let the doctors decide at your time of death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.

Myth: I'm not in the best of health. Nobody would want my organs or tissues. Fact: Very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from donating organs. The decision to use an organ is based on strict medical criteria. It may turn out that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Only medical professionals at the time of your death can determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation.

Myth: Rich and famous people go to the top of the list when they need a donor organ. Fact: The rich and famous aren't given priority when it comes to allocating organs. It may seem that way because of the amount of publicity generated when celebrities receive a transplant, but they are treated no differently from anyone else. In fact, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization responsible for maintaining the national organ transplant network, subjects all celebrity transplants to an internal audit to make sure the organ allocation was appropriate.

Myth: My family will be charged if I donate my organs. Fact: The organ donor's family is never charged for donating. The family is charged for the cost of all final efforts to save your life, and those costs are sometimes misinterpreted as costs related to organ donation. Costs for organ removal go to the transplant recipient

Myth: Crohn's disease will keep me from being a donor. Fact: A history of Crohn's disease does not stop you from being a donor. A full medical and social medical history is taken. That and the condition of your body at the time of death will determine if you can be a donor.

Myth: Having cancer will keep me from being a donor. Fact: It depends on the type and location of the cancer. Some cancer patients can be a cornea donor. Cancer survivors who had cancer five or more years ago may be a donor. A full medical and social medical history is taken. The initial finding, care and follow-up care are studied. All of these measures and the state of the body at death will determine if you can be a donor.

Myth: People with HIV can be donors. Fact: People with active HIV cannot be donors.

Myth: Organ and tissue donation disfigures the body. Fact: Donation is a type of surgery. After surgery, the body is put back together with care. uring surgery the body is treated with care, respect and dignity.

Myth: Donation will delay the funeral. Fact: Most donations take place within 12 to 24 hours after death. Donation does not delay funeral plans.

Myth: You have to be young and healthy when you die to be a donor. Fact: Donors range from the very young to the very old. People of all ages should consider themselves likely donors.