Donor Registry
Tissue donation is a more common option for people wishing to be donors, as there are very few medical reasons (other than having a communicable disease, such as HIV or hepatitis) a person would not be eligible to donate tissue.
Corneas or whole eyes, bone, skin, saphenous and femoral veins, and heart valves are tissues that can be transplanted. Great care is taken in the removal of tissues to ensure acceptable presentation of the body for funeral purposes. Generally, donation will not delay funeral arrangements, and tissue donation does not interfere with an open-casket funeral for the donor.
Here’s how the process works:
- Death Occurs – When a patient dies, the hospital staff notifies family members. Federal regulations mandate that the hospital notify an organ procurement organization, such as LifeGift, of all deaths occurring there. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the LifeGift Communications Center receives and coordinates organ and tissue referrals in LifeGift's three regions, which cover nearly 200 hospitals.
- Assess Donation Possibility – The deceased patient is assessed for suitability for tissue donation, based on criteria such as age, cause of death and medical history.
- Approach Family about Donation – If the patient is a suitable donor, LifeGift contacts the family and presents the option to donate. If family members are interested in donation, they must agree to a consent form that itemizes each tissue they want to donate.
- Gather Information – The family must also answer a medical/social questionnaire (similar to those asked when a person donates blood). These questions are asked for the protection of the recipients and to screen for communicable diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis. Once all of the medical history has been compiled, the donor is qualified through a tissue bank to ensure that the tissues are suitable for transplantation. If the donor's medical or social history precludes donation, certain tissues may still be donated for research.
- Recover and Transplant Tissue – If the tissues are suitable, a team recovers them in a sterile surgical procedure. These tissues are then sent to various banks for processing, where they are stored for later use. Afterward, the body is reconstructed.
- Follow Up – A few weeks after the funeral, LifeGift sends a letter to the family outlining which tissues were recovered and thanking the family for the donation.
