Many organs in the human body can be donated for the purpose of transplanting into another person to save or improve that person's life. In most cases, the donor must be deceased in order to donate an organ; however, some organs can be transplanted from a live donor. The process of donating organs differs, depending on the organ and the health status of the donor.
Organs That Can Be Donated
According to the United States government website for tissue and organ donation, there are nearly 110,000 people in the U.S. waiting for a donor organ, and that list grows every day. A variety of organs and tissues can be donated, including the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, skin and the small intestine. Individuals under the age of 18 will need parental permission to donate an organ.
Donation from Living Donors
Most organ donation happens after a donor has died, but some organs can be donated and transplanted when the donor is still alive. According to the U.S. organ donation website, single kidney donation is the most prevalent living donor organ donation.
Living organ donors may donate kidneys or part of their livers, pancreases or small intestines. If you are interested in donating an organ while you are still alive, contact the nearest transplant center and medical school. Some centers and schools have anonymous donation programs. Information about donating a kidney is available online at the Living Donors Online website.
Donations After Brain or Cardiac Death
The U.S. government organ donor website reports that organs used in transplants are from people who are declared brain dead due to an accident, stroke or heart attack. The process for self-identifying as an organ donor should you suffer a fatal medical trauma can be as simple as designating your decision on your driver's license when you obtain or renew it. You can also register with your individual state's tissue and organ registry, a list of which is found at the U.S. government organ donation website. It is recommended that you speak to your family about your decision to be an organ donor. This will make your wishes clear and help avoid confusion during a time of grieving for your family.
Full Body Donation
It is possible to donate your entire body to medical science after your death. Contact the medical school or willed body program where you'd like to donate your body. In most cases, this does preclude living organ donation, as many medical schools require all organs be intact at the time of donation.
Tissue Donation
In addition to organs, human tissue can also be donated from live donors. This includes blood, marrow, blood stem cells and umbilical cord blood.
