Myths & facts

1) MYTH: If you're willing to be a donor, the doctors might let you die or not try as hard to save your life.

FACT:  Physicians and nurses will do everything possible to try to save your life. In fact, the medical team treating you is separate from the transplant team. Donor services is responsible for contacting the transplant team, and donor services is not notified regarding a potential donor until all lifesaving efforts have failed.

2) MYTH: An organ and tissue donor can't have a normal open casket funeral.

FACT:  An open casket funeral is still possible with organ and tissue donation. After donation, there are usually no noticeable differences that would prevent a normal open casket funeral. In fact, donation coordinators provide funeral service personnel with detailed information about the donation process so the donor can be prepared for burial without complication.

3) MYTH: Donation takes a long time. It will delay the funeral.

FACT:  The time available between declaration of death and the donation is 12 to 24 hours for most organs and tissues. After donation, the body is immediately released to the funeral home and visitation plans can proceed.

4) MYTH: Donation goes against the beliefs of most religions.

FACT:  Most major religious groups in the United States approve of and support the principles and practices of organ and tissue donation. Transplantation is consistent with the life preserving traditions of these faiths. However, if you have any doubts, discuss them with your spiritual leader.  Click here to access our Religious Views on Donation page.

5) MYTH: People can make a lot of money selling organs.

FACT:  It is a federal crime to sell organs in the United States. (Public Law 98-507) Anyone convicted of violating this law is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and/or maximum of five years imprisonment. One of the reasons for this rule is to make sure that the wealthy don't have an unfair advantage if they need an organ.

6) MYTH: Donation adds extra costs for donor families.

FACT:  Donation costs the donor family nothing. All costs related to the donation are paid for by the donor program or transplant center. However, the family is still responsible for the hospital expenses that were incurred trying to save the patient's life and for funeral expenses.  If a family believes that they were billed incorrectly, the family should immediately contact the organ procurement organization.

7) MYTH: The donation costs passed on to the organ recipient are too expensive.

FACT:  Costs associated with organ donation account for only about 12% of the total cost for the transplant process. Most of the expense to the transplant recipient is generated by the transplant: hospital costs, physicians' and surgeons' fees, medications and aftercare.

8) MYTH: It's the person with the most money or the most fame who gets the donation. That's just not fair.

FACT:  A person becomes eligible to receive an organ transplant by their transplant physician puting them on the national list of transplant candidates, which is designed to ensure fairness. The waiting list for organ transplantation is a system that gives everyone equal opportunity to meet the criteria that governs it. Once a patient is on the waiting list, he or she is guaranteed that every effort is being made to locate the needed organ or organs as quickly as possible. There is no way a person can buy higher priority on the waiting list.  When donor organs become available, several factors are taken into consideration to identify the best matched recipient(s) such as blood type, weight, age, urgency of need, length of time on the waiting list and geographic closeness. The exception to the listing process is directed donation.  This is when someone names the person they want to receive their organs.  An example of directed donation is living related donors and recipients.

9) MYTH: I have a history of medical illness and can't be a donor.

FACT: Few illnesses will eliminate someone's ability to donate; however, at the time of death, donor services will review medical and social histories to determine donor suitability on a case-by-case basis.

10) MYTH: Transplants don't work. It's all experimental.

FACT:  In most cases, transplant surgery is now regarded as standard medical practice. Survival rates are impressive.