Donate Life Tennessee is extremely important in the work that Andrea does as a grief educator.

Andrea is a living kidney donor; she donated her kidney to her husband Dave in 2008. Andrea has been a Donate Life Ambassador for 16 years. It is her goal to ensure that communities have the right information and are educated when making the decision to donate their organs. There are certainly many myths about organ donation and too much misinformation that causes society to making uninformed decisions about themselves or their loved ones.

Let's break it down and debunk some of the most common myths you hear around organ donation.

Myth: Organ Donors Receive Less Aggressive Care from First Responders

Many people mistakenly believe that when the EMTs arrive on the scene, or the accident victim is brought to the hospital, the standard of care they receive will be less aggressive if the patient is an organ donor.

Fact: Healthcare professionals will use their expertise and whatever state-of-the-art technology is available to save a life, regardless of whether the person is an organ donor, says Linda Wright, clinical manager for abdominal transplant at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. When ambulance crews or ER staff members respond to an emergency or administer treatment, they often do not know if a patient is an organ donor or not.

Organ donation and the process required to carry it out are only considered after specific medical conditions are met.

When a person experiences a devastating neurologic injury and is brought to the hospital, someone from the clinical team will contact the hospital’s designated nonprofit organ procurement organization (OPO) to inform them of the situation. (The OPO serving our region is Gift of Life Donor Program.)

Representatives from Gift of Life will then come to the hospital to evaluate the patient and determine whether they would be suitable for donation. Full clinical support is continued until the patient:

• Meets the strict criteria for brain death

Or

• The family decides to withdraw life support

Following either of those instances, the clinical team and the Gift of Life representatives will discuss the option of organ donation with the patient’s family.

Myth: My religion prohibits organ donation.

Most major religions support organ and tissue donation if it does not impede or hasten the death of the donor. Organ donation is largely viewed as an act of charity and love. if in doubt, speak with your spiritual or religious leaders or guides.

Myth: Organ Donation Causes Problems with Burial and Funeral Services.

Another common fear is that donating organs will in some way alter how remains are handled at the end of life.

Fact: Nothing changes after organ donation. Burial plans and funeral services can still be carried out in the same way they would, had a person not donated their organs, according to Wright. Additionally, organ donation does not prevent a person from having an open casket at their funeral.

Myth: Rich and famous people get preference for donated organs.

Celebrity and financial status are not taken into consideration when it comes to allocating donated organs. Priority is based on medical data showing a patient’s need for a transplant. This includes medical need, time spent waiting, blood and tissue type and match potential. Most organs go to patients in the area where doctors recovered the organs.

Myth: You must be dead to donate an organ.

While most donations take place after the donor’s death, people can donate certain organs or tissue to a patient in need while still living. About 6,500 living donations take place each year. Most happen between family members or close friends. About 85% of people on the organ transplant waiting list need a kidney. Living donors can also donate a portion of their liver, intestines, pancreas or a lung or part of a lung.

Myth: My family will have to pay for donating my organs.

Donors and their families are not responsible for any costs associated with a donation. Most transplant surgeries are covered by the organ recipient’s health insurance.

Talking to your family about your wishes.

It is vitally important that organ donors discuss their decision with family members.

“The decision to register as a donor is a personal one, but it ultimately involves more than one person,” says Dr. Marsh. “It’s important to talk to your family about your decision to donate so they are aware of your wishes and will feel comfortable honoring them.”

Donation Stats & Facts

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Myths & Facts