Be An Organ Donor

Donor Card (PDF)

If you wish to be an organ donor, please share your decision with your family, and inform them that you are completing a donor card. It is very important that your family knows of your decision, because in most states, they have to give their consent before the donation process can actually occur.

For more information, or to receive a donor card, please call us at 800.366.2682 or e-mail us at: Judy@cota.org or, click here and print our donor card on your printer.

Be an Organ Donor....You can save a life.

Becoming an Organ Donor

Share Your Life. Share Your Decision. Two simple steps make a lifesaving difference:

Step One: Share Your Life. Make the decision to become an organ and tissue donor.

Step Two: Share Your Decision. Sharing your decision to be an organ and tissue donor is as important as making the decision itself. At the time of your death, your family will be asked about donation. Sharing your decision with your family now will prevent confusion or uncertainty about your wishes later. Carrying out your wish to save other lives can bring your family members great comfort in their time of grief.

Questions and Answers About Organ Donation

Who can become a donor? You should always consider yourself a potential organ donor. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissues can be donated.

What organs and tissues can I donate? Organs include the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines. Tissues include corneas, skin, bone, heart valves, tendons and vessels.

Will my decision to become an organ and tissue donor affect the quality of my medical care? No. Organ and tissue recovery takes place only after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared. The doctors working to save your life are entirely separate from the medical team involved in recovering organs and tissues.

Will donation disfigure my body? No. Donation neither disfigures the body nor changes the way it looks in a casket.

Does it cost anything to donate organs and tissues? No. Donation costs nothing to the donor’s family or estate.

Is there an age limit for donating organs? No set age limit exists for organ donation. At the time of death, the potential donor's organs are evaluated to determine their suitability for donation. Therefore, people of any age wishing to become organ and tissue donors should complete a donor card and inform their family that they wish to donate.

What medical conditions exclude a person from donating organs? HIV and actively spreading cancer normally exclude people from donating organs. Otherwise, the organs are evaluated at the time of death. Therefore, those with other medical conditions who wish to donate should complete a donor card and share their decision with their family.

Does my religion approve of donation? All of the larger religions in this country approve of organ donation and consider it a gift -- an act of charity. If you have any questions, contact your religious advisor.

What will happen to my donated organs and tissues? A national system ensures the fair distribution of organs in the United States. The patients who will receive your organs and tissues will be identified based upon such factors as blood type, length of time on the waiting list, severity of illness and other medical criteria. Factors such as race, gender, age, income or celebrity status are not considered when determining who receives an organ. Buying and selling organs is against the law.