What is Tissue Donation?

Tissue – the nonliving parts of your body such as skin, heart valves, bones and veins –can be transplanted from one person to help save or enhance others' lives.

Last year, with the help of almost 2,200 generous donors, American Red Cross Tissue Services provided about 85,000 human tissue grafts for transplantation (heart valve, skin, ligament, tendon, bone, major blood vessel, fascia-muscle covering).

One tissue donation can enhance the lives of as many as 50 patients. In the United States today, very little of the need for certain human tissues for transplantation is met.

Donation occurs after a loved one dies. The family must consent. During the consent process, a trained donor coordinator asks permission for each tissue to be procured, so the family knows exactly what they are giving of the donor. Highly skilled and trained Red Cross professionals work with donor families to educate them about the donation process, offer counseling services and secure donor consent.

Uses for Donated Tissue

Skin – used as a temporary covering to reduce pain and lower the chance of infection to patients with severe burns.

Heart valves – to help children born with heart problems or adults who have heart disease and damaged heart valves.

Bone – to repair or replace bone after serious injury, bone cancer or crippling diseases of the bone.

Tendons and ligaments – to replace or strengthen damaged tissues in injured knees and other joints.

Once tissue is secured, the Red Cross ensures that various safety measures occur so patients receive the safest tissue available.