Why Should You Be An Organ Donor On Your License?
When you register for eye, organ, and tissue donation on your driver’s license, you’re legally making a generous and worthwhile decision that will be honored after you pass away. You must discuss such a decision with your family members so they’ll know and be prepared to honor your decision.
It would be best if you become an organ donor on your driver’s license as it will allow you to save many lives and reduce the waiting list for organ transplants.
Becoming an Organ donor
Anyone 18 years and above is eligible to register for organ donation on their driver’s license or register online. People below 18 years can register for organ or tissue donation on their driver’s learning permit in states like North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. However, if you’re below 18, your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must permit donation.
You need to check "Yes" on the donor box at the office of your local department of motor vehicles (DMV) in order to become an eye, organ, and tissue donor after your death.
Anyone who wants to be an organ transplant recipient will remain on a waiting list until they get a match with potential donors. In the absence of suitable donors, the lists will keep increasing. Requirements for a suitable donor organ match are as follows:
- Body size
- Blood type
- Tissue type
- The severity of their medical condition
- How long they’ve waited for a new organ
- How far they live from a donor.
Starting the donation process
After the death of a potential organ donor, the staff at the hospital will reach out to any organization that assists in coordinating organ donation in the donor’s area. The staff will check things like the donor’s medical history to know whether they meet organ donation requirements.
The staff would discuss tissue/organ donation with the family if the person were a registered donor. If the person wasn’t a registered donor, the family could decide on behalf of the individual whether to go ahead with the organ donation.
As the organ donation process progresses, the personal details of the organ donor enter into a national database. These details may include the following:
- Weight
- Height
- Zip code of the hospital
- Blood type
The collected information helps to identify best the patients that need the organ the most. After finding a match, the team specializing in the transplanting process gets to work, quickly transporting organs to a hospital near the recipient. The transplant process usually takes 24 hours. If you’re worried about costs related to being an organ donor, it’s no problem. The organ donor’s families don’t pay anything. The recipient’s insurance will cover the medical expenses of the transplant.
Generally, hospitals seek consent from a near relative before removing donor organs. However, this step is not required if you’ve registered with your state’s organ donation registry or have donor designation on your state ID card or driver’s license.
After the donation process
Weeks after the organ transplant, the organization will send a letter to the organ donor’s family, letting them know which of their loved one’s tissues and organs were donated.
The family of the organ or tissue donor my get support during their grieving process, including:
- Correspondence opportunities
- Memorial events to honor their loved one
- Bereavement counseling.
After the transplant, recipients receive lifetime follow-up care. The goal is to detect any potential changes in the proper functioning of the donated organs or general health and well-being to ensure a full, healthy life.
Common Organ Donation Myths
If you’ve not considered organ donation or you’re unsure of becoming a donor due to possibly inaccurate information, below are some answers to common myths associated with organ donation.
Myth: My religion does not support the donation of organs
Fact: Most Major religions have beliefs consistent with donating organs. Examples of these religions are most branches of Judaism and Protestant faiths, Catholicism, and Islam. If you’re uncertain about your faith’s position on organ donation, seek help from a member of your clergy.
Myth: Rich and famous people are top priority whenever they need a donor organ
Fact: When allocating organs, rich people are not given priority. It may appear due to the publicity generated when a celebrity undergoes an organ transplant. However, these people are treated just like anyone else. The main thing is that organ allocation does not regard celebrity and financial status.
Myth: Nobody will accept my organs because of my old age
Fact: Organ donation doesn’t have a defined cut-off age. Only very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from organ donation, A strict medical criteria form the basis for deciding to use your organs and not age. Never disqualify yourself too early. Allow the doctors to decide the suitability of your organs for transplantation at the time of your death.
Myth: I’ll like to donate just one kidney now, but one of my family members has to be in need before I do so
Fact: Although that was the case before, it doesn’t stand anymore. Whether it’s a friend, distant family member, or complete stranger who wants to offer help, you can donate your kidney via specific transplant centers. If you become a living donor, you’ll undergo extensive questioning to ensure you know the risks involved and that your choice to donate your organs isn’t because of financial gain.
Myth: If I decide now to donate certain organs, the hospital staff won’t strive to save my life
Fact: When you go to a medical facility for treatment, only medical professionals and other healthcare providers will focus on saving your life.
How can I know If I’m on the Organ Donor Registry?
A simple way to tell if you’re on the organ donor registry is to check your driver’s license or state ID. If you renewed your license when you joined the registry, you’d have a heart logo imprinted at the bottom corner.
Final thoughts
Now that you’ve seen how it all works. You can understand that becoming an organ donor can make a huge difference, not just one person, but as many as 75 lives. Several families say that knowing their lost loved one helped save other lives and enabled them to bear their loss.
