Making a Lifesaving Gift: Organ Donation Guidance

Your Legacy Through Organ Donation

The ability to donate one’s organs and tissues is a profound gesture that can save numerous lives, making it a noble consideration for anyone planning their legacy. Medical advancements have significantly increased the success rates of organ and tissue transplants, rendering them more secure and affordable. Transplants commonly involve the following tissues and organs:

• Corneas
• Hearts
• Livers
• Kidneys
• Bones and bone marrow
• Tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue
• Skin
• Pancreas
• Lungs

While tissues and corneas can frequently be harvested from many individuals, often serving vital research and educational purposes, there are complexities surrounding the donation of major organs such as hearts, livers, and kidneys. With thousands patiently waiting for a kidney transplantation, alarmingly, only about 1% of decedents qualify as suitable donors for such organs.

To pledge organ donation, carrying an organ donor card is a recommended step—this can be facilitated through your driver’s license in many states by obtaining a donor identification card and, possibly, a decal for the front of your license.

Further solidifying your intent via a healthcare document is prudent. This could be an advance directive or a living will, increasingly, allowing you to delineate your wishes, including the specific organs or tissues you would like to donate, and your preferred uses for them—whether for transplants, therapeutic applications, research, or education.

Immediate action must follow your passing for organ, tissue, or body donations to proceed. Therefore, organizing in advance is critical, as is conveying your intentions to those you trust—particularly the healthcare agent specified within any advance directive or health care power of attorney you may have established.

Even with your documented wishes for organ donation, opposition from immediate family members can potentially override your decisions. Thus, the best strategy is to clearly document your choices and ensure that your family members and friends are aware and supportive of your intentions.

For personalized guidance on documenting your organ donation wishes and incorporating them into your advance healthcare planning, please contact Goldberg & Goldberg at (301) 654-5757. We offer Free Consultations to help you make this life-impacting decision with clarity and peace of mind.