Organ Shortages Prompt Questions About Donation

Staff Writer, May 22, 2009

Because many of the United States’ organ donation banks are running on empty these days, more and more people are dying as they anticipate the end to waiting lists. For this reason, and because as people age, they want to know how to make anatomical gifts, many lawyers have been giving advice on how to make your wishes of being an organ donor known.

Many states offer a program that allows individuals to indicate their intentions to be a donor on their drivers’ license. However, according to some lawyers, this is not enough to show that you truly want to be a donor. For this reason, many recommend that individuals use one or two methods of declaring their desire to donate.

One of these methods is to tell friends and family members. If an individual is terminally ill, he or she can indicate to at least two adults- one must be unrelated to the patient, and neither can be the attending physician. Also, these wishes can be mentioned in a will, often known as a “living will.”

Non-profit organizations also exist, where individuals can register themselves as organ or tissue donors.