How to Donate Organs After Death

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), as of September 15, 2010, at 11:36 a.m. PST, there are 108,593 candidates on the transplant waiting list. If you decide you want to donate your organs after death, the process is easy. Many states have developed a simple procedure to follow and a quick method to indicate donor status. As time and certainty are important considerations in all donor situations, this method allows for both.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone
• Donor card
• Pen
• Envelope
• Stamp
• Will

Instructions

1. Contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and request that a donor card be sent to your current address.

2. Complete and sign the card. Mail it back.

3. Affix the pink dot indicating donor status to your current driver's license.

4. Inform family members and close friends that you are a donor.

5. Add an addendum to your will that states you are a donor.

References

• Merck: Choices to Make Before Death
• Living Donors Online!: Organ Donation After Death
• Transplants: Organ and Tissue Donation

Resources

• United Network for Organ Sharing. : Home