Do you think that you may be too old or that your health is too poor to be a donor? Think again! In 1999, more than 580 people age 65 and older were organ donors. To determine if someone can be a donor, an organ recovery coordinator conducts an evaluation at the time of death. The coordinator looks at the patient's past medical and social history, as well as present medical condition. This is done in a confidential manner.

Because many people who might think they cannot donate are good donor candidates, it is important that you sign a donor card and, above all, let your family know your wishes. For a brochure on organ and tissue donation, including a donor card and family notification form, call 1-800-355-SHARE (7427) or visit www.organdonor.gov and/or www.donatelife.net.

Brain Death and Organ Donation

Most organ donors are people who suffer from a head injury that results in brain death. Brain death is a condition where the brain has permanently stopped working, as determined by a physician. Artificial support systems may temporarily maintain functions such as heartbeat and breathing, but not permanently. These may be people who have had a stroke, traumatic head injury due to a car accident or fall, or a brain tumor that has not metastasized.

There are two ways to pronounce death. Death may be pronounced when a person's heart stops beating or when the person's brain stops functioning (brain death). Brain death occurs when blood, and the oxygen it carries, cannot flow to the brain. The person's heart still beats and provides blood and oxygen to the rest of the body, as long as the person remains on a ventilator, or breathing machine. Because these functions remain intact, brain dead people can qualify as organ donors.

Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA)

The UAGA provides individuals who are 18 years of age or older the right to donate organs and tissue for transplantation. A written document of your wish includes a signed donor card or indication on your driver's license. All states have enacted some form of the UAGA.

The UAGA also provides information on who can allow donation to occur in the event that the person who died did not make a decision about donation. However, most organ procurement organizations approach the patient's family for consent even if there is a signed donor card. The order of priority is as follows:

• spouse
• adult son or daughter
• either parent
• adult brother or sister
• grandparent
• legal guardian

If consent for donation is given by one of the individuals or groups listed above, the recovery coordinator or hospital staff will obtain written consent. Occasionally, a recovery coordinator will obtain consent for tissue donation over the phone. A copy of this consent form becomes part of the donor's permanent hospital record.

Because the family so often must shoulder the burden of deciding if their loved one would have wanted to be a donor, it is wise to discuss organ and tissue donation with your family so they can be assured they are following your wishes.

The Benefits of Donation

In 2000, organ transplantation saved or enhanced the lives of more than 20,000 men, women, and children. Although organ donation is often related to a sudden and tragic death, many donors and their families see the decision to donate as a rewarding choice. The decision to donate can leave a positive legacy through the knowledge that others lived because of that choice.