Organ donation is a deeply personal decision — one that can save up to eight lives and improve many more through tissue donation. Whether you choose to donate or not, documenting your wishes clearly and communicating them to your family ensures that your decision will be honored.
How Organ Donation Works
When a registered donor dies in circumstances that allow donation (typically brain death or cardiac death in a hospital setting), a team from the regional Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) assesses whether donation is medically possible. They review the donor's registration, speak with the family, and coordinate with transplant teams who are matched to recipients through a national waiting list managed by UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing).
What Can Be Donated?
Organs: Heart, kidneys (2), liver, lungs (2), pancreas, intestines — up to 8 lifesaving organs from a single donor.
Tissues: Corneas (restoring sight), skin (for burn treatment), bone, tendons, heart valves, and blood vessels — donated tissues can help more than 75 people.
How to Register as an Organ Donor
Registering is simple and can be done in multiple ways:
- Online: Register at RegisterMe.org, which connects to your state's official donor registry
- At the DMV: Most states allow you to register when getting or renewing a driver's license (indicated by a heart on your license)
- Through your state health department: Directly through your state's official registry
Registration in a state donor registry is a legally binding decision. Your consent is legally sufficient for donation to proceed — your family's consent is not required. However, families sometimes override donor registration decisions in practice, which is why communicating your wishes to family is essential.
Tell Your Family
Donation decisions are most reliably honored when family members know your wishes and support them. In stressful medical situations, family members who are unaware of your registration may refuse donation or ask for time to discuss it — time that can affect whether donation is medically possible.
Have the conversation now. Tell the people who would be present at the hospital what you want and why it matters to you. This single conversation dramatically increases the likelihood that your wishes will be followed.
Document Your Wishes in Your Advance Directive
Your living will or advance directive is the ideal place to formally document your donation wishes — including any limitations on what you want donated. Some people want to donate all organs and tissues; others prefer to donate specific organs only. Document your preferences specifically.
Concerns About Donation
Some people hesitate to register because of concerns about medical care. It's worth knowing: the medical team treating you in a hospital is entirely separate from the organ procurement team. Medical providers are legally and ethically obligated to prioritize saving your life — donation only becomes relevant after all treatment options have been exhausted.
For the full picture on healthcare advance planning, see our complete guide to advance directives.