Questions and Answers A Gift of Life
A Page From the Life of A Living Organ Donor
| Important! Nothing on this page is medical advice! If you need a transplant, you need to seek the advice and care of qualified transplant physicians. This is a general source of information and only represents the opinion of each individual contributor. |
My husband, Jerry, and I have been asked numerous questions at my speaking engagements. Some have been answered often in the literature. Others, are of a more personal nature that you may be interested in hearing our take on.
If you have any questions you would like us to answer, please contact us. Please remember; this is a family site, so keep it clean.
Jerry, how did you feel when Lynn told you that she wanted to be an organ donor?
I wanted her brother to have the best chance that he could at having
the most successful transplant, and to get the most longevity that he possibly could out of it. I knew that's why a living related donor would be the best candidate for him. I didn't want to take that away from him.I knew that the decision ultimately had to be Lynn's. Basically, I thought about what I would do if my brother needed a kidney, and then I could understand how she felt. I knew that she wouldn't decide to be the donor if her life were strongly at risk. We knew that organ donation is not totally risk free, but we felt confident that the chances of anything going wrong were mininal. She was in very good health, and the doctors had assured us that she would be a very good candidate.
Jerry, were you given enough information to know what to expect after the surgery?
As far as my own feelings go, I believe this can be answered best with an excerpt from the book A Gift of Life.We recently attended the 1998 Transplant Games in Columbus Ohio where there was a meeting for living donors. The subject that I heard the most comments about was the fact that donors had not received enough information either before or after their surgery.
Is there an age limit for donating organs?
No set age limit exists for organ donation. At the time of death, the potential donor's organs are evaluated to determine their suitability for donation. Therefore, people of any age wishing to become organ and tissue donors should complete a donor card and inform their family that they wish to donate.
What medical conditions exclude a person from donating organs?
HIV and actively spreading cancer normally exclude people from donating organs. Otherwise, the organs are evaluated at the time of death. Therefore, those with other medical conditions who wish to donate should complete a donor card and share their decision with their family.
Who can become a donor?
You should always consider yourself a potential organ donor. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissues can be donated.
What organs and tissues can I donate?
Organs include the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines. Tissues include eyes, skin, bone, heart valves, tendons and vessels.
How soon must organs be transplanted?
| Heart | 4 - 6 Hours |
| Heart/Lung | 4 - 6 Hours |
| Lung | 4 - 6 Hours |
| Liver | 12 - 24 Hours |
| Pancreas | 12 - 24 Hours |
| Kidney | 48 - 72 Hours |
Will my decision to become an organ and tissue donor 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 doctors working to save your life are entirely separate from the medical team involved in recovering organs and tissues.
Will donation disfigure my body?
No. Donation neither disfigures the body nor changes the
way it looks in a casket.
Does it cost anything to donate organs and tissues?
No. Donation costs nothing to the donor’s family or estate.
However, you will find that there will be several weeks of recovery, and your own finances will have to be covered.
Does my religion approve of donation?
All of the larger religions in this country approve of
organ donation and consider it a gift -- an act of charity. If you have any questions, contact your religious advisor. Or visit Transweb for information regarding specific religions.
What will happen to my donated organs and Tissues?
A national system ensures the fair distribution of organs in the United States. The patients who will receive your organs and tissues will be identified based upon such factors as blood type, length of time on the waiting list, severity of illness and other medical criteria. Factors such as race, gender, age, income or celebrity status are not considered when determining who receives an organ. Buying and selling organs is against the law.
When my adult son died several years ago, we wanted to
donate his organs, but they said he had been deceased too long. What does that mean?
All of our organs need a blood supply to stay alive. When an individual dies, blood stops flowing to the organs, and the organs very quickly die. Brain-dead individuals can be sustained on machines for a while, in order to harvest the organs at a little later time.
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