What is the difference between an organ donor and a tissue donor?
Organ donors donate their major vital organs: heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines. Tissue donors donate their tissue, which includes corneas, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons.
Who can be a donor?
Anyone can indicate their intent to donate. Except in the case of a voluntary living donation, an individual must be declared "brain dead" (according to federal standards) by a qualified, medical professional before donation may occur. There are strict medical criteria that must be met to ensure the safety and effectiveness of transplanted organs, tissues and eyes. There is no age limit to register to be a donor. Any donor under the age of 18 must have parental or guardian consent to be a donor.
Can I designate what I want to donate?
Yes, you may indicate which organs and tissues you wish to donate.
Can an organ donor also be a tissue donor?
Yes. In fact, tissue donation is a more common option for people wishing to be donors, as there are fewer medical reasons a person would be denied the opportunity. As many as 50 people can benefit from ONE tissue donor.
Does the Glenda Dawson Donate Life - Texas Registry include bone marrow or cord blood donation?
No, but there is a national program that matches marrow donors and people who need a transplant. A bone marrow transplant is often the only treatment for some diseases, like leukemia. The website for the National Marrow Donor Program is:
http://www.marrow.org/What is living organ donation?
Living organ donation is when a person donates a kidney or part of a liver. More than half of all kidney transplants are from living donors. The Glenda Dawson Donate Life - Texas Registry is not for people who want to be living donors. To find out more about how to become a living donor, contact the organ procurement organization in your area. Go to the resource page for a list.
What can you tell me about eye donation?
There are two types of eye donation. The first type is donation of the cornea (corn-ee-ah). The cornea is the clear tissue that makes the eye focus and covers the front of the eye. Donated corneas are used in corneal transplants. Corneal transplants are very common. Almost all of these transplants succeed.
The second type of eye donation is the donation of the whole globe of the eye. The whole globe contains the sclera (sclair-uh). That is the firm white tissue that covers the entire eye except for the very front. It helps keep the eye's shape and protects the inner parts of the eyes. It is used in glaucoma surgery as a type of bandage.
Can I be an organ, tissue and eye donor and also donate my body to medical science?
If you choose to be an organ and tissue donor, you generally cannot also donate your body to science. But, there are some places that might accept an organ donor for study. Also, people who only donate their eyes can usually still donate their bodies to science. If you want to donate your body to science, you need to contact the facility of your choice to arrange for the donation.
My family members do not believe in donation. How can I make sure that I will be a donor?
Sometimes, resistance to donation is simply an unwillingness to think about the death of a loved one. The best thing you can do is stress to your loved ones how important it is to you to donate. Make them aware that you have registered as a donor, and ask them to honor your wishes.
Would my family incur any costs or receive any payment related to my donation?
No. The donor family is never billed for expenses related to donation. Also, the donor family is not paid for any donations, as this would be a violation of federal and state laws.
Will donation delay a funeral? Is an open-casket funeral an option for organ, tissue or eye donors?
Usually organ donation does not delay a funeral. After you die, the recovery organization will communicate with your family about the timing of organ, tissue and eye recovery. In most cases, there isn't a long delay before your body can be released. Your body will be carefully reconstructed so that donation does not prevent you from having an open-casket funeral.
Why we don't have stickers for drivers license?
The Department stopped collecting organ donor information during the drivers license process in 1997 due to changes in State law.
Legislation passed in 2005 & 2007 allowed the Department to again collect organ donor information to place on the front of a driver license or identification card(DL/ID) for persons interested in donating an anatomical gift in the event of death.
With implementation of the New Driver License System in late 2008, a heart symbol will be placed on the DL/ID for individuals that want to donate an anatomical gift in the event of death. Currently, when you apply for, renew or duplicate your DL/ID, you are asked if you would like to register with the Glenda Dawson Donate Life - Texas Registry. If you desire to register, Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for
collecting name, date of birth and driver license/identification number for submission to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). DSHS utilizes this information to update the Glenda Dawson Donate Life - Texas Registry. The registry is funded by a $1 voluntary contribution received when Texans apply for an original or renew their driver license or identification cards or when registering their vehicles. For more information
about being an organ and tissue donor, visit the website at http://www.donatelifetexas.org/