ORGAN DONOR INFORMATION

• Anyone, regardless of age or medical history, can sign up to be a donor; the only qualification is that you must be at least 16 years old
• One Donor can save up to 8 lives and enhance the lives of 75 more
• Organs you can donate after death: Kidneys, Liver, Lungs, Heart, Pancreas, Intestines, Hands, Face
• Organs you can donate while alive: One Kidney, One Lung, Part of Liver, Pancreas & Intestine
• Eyes, Tissue, Blood Stem Cells, Cord Blood, Bone Marrow, Blood & Platelets can all be donated

• 106,048 children, women & men are on the National Transplant Waiting List
• Every 9 minutes another person is added to the waiting list
• 17 people die each day waiting for a transplant
• 40,000+ Transplants were performed in 2021 in the nation
• 365 transplants were performed in Iowa in 2021

Myth:  If I'm a registered donor, doctors won't work as hard to save me.

 Doctors, nurses and paramedics have a mission to save lives. Donation is only considered when all efforts to save a life have been exhausted.

Myth: My family will have to pay extra for donation.

There is no cost to the donor’s family for organ, eye, and tissue donation. Once brain death is declared and/or a family gives consent to donation the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) covers the charges incurred for the remaining time spent in the ICU and the recovery in the OR. The family will still be responsible for the care given to their loved one prior to brain death. Expenses related to saving the individual’s life and funeral expenses remain the responsibility of the donor’s family.

Myth: My health is too bad for me to donate.

You can still register as a donor even with a lengthy medical history. Every potential donor is thoroughly evaluated, and their medical history is reviewed prior to donation to ensure the safety of all recipients.

Myth: I've been too hard on my body

The use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs does not keep you from becoming a donor. Before transplant, we test all donated organs and tissues to make sure they are undamaged and safe for the recipient.