People of any age and medical history can possibly become donors. There are few diseases that automatically prevent you from becoming a donor.

We suggest talking to your family about the decision to enroll in the Registry. Letting them know ahead of time may help them through an extremely difficult time. It also provides comfort that they do not have to make this decision on your behalf.

All major religions approve of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Many believe it is the most important gift one person can give to another. If you have questions or concerns, you should discuss them with your religious or spiritual leader.

No. Donation occurs after death. Your wish to be a donor does not impact your medical treatment.

Medical staff do not have access to the Registry. The health care providers who take care of you while you are alive are not the same health care providers involved in the donation process.

Yes, anyone who spends time in New York State and would like to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor can join the Registry. This is true even if they do not live in New York.

Hospitals alert the regional organ procurement organization (OPO), eye bank and/or tissue banks of all deaths and deaths that are imminent (about to occur). OPOs, eye banks, and tissue banks have access to the New York State Donate Life Registry to determine if the patient is a registered donor. If the patient has not registered their consent to donate in the Registry, the OPO, eye bank, or tissue bank consent to donation will be sought from the patient’s next of kin or person legally allowed (authorized) to make health care decisions for the patient. Neither hospitals nor health care providers have access to the Registry.

All patients referred to an organ procurement organization (OPO), eye or tissue bank are evaluated to determine if their organs and/or tissues are medically suitable for donation.

If the patient is medically able to donate and is a registered donor:

• The OPO, eye bank, or tissue bank meets with the family and informs them of their loved one's legal consent to donate their organs and/or tissues.
• The OPO, eye bank, or tissue bank then provides the family with information about the donation process and how it will proceed for their loved one.
• In collaboration with the hospital, the OPO, eye bank, or tissue bank then begins the recovery process.

If the patient is an eligible donor and they are not registered or given prior consent to donation:

• The OPO, eye bank, or tissue bank meets with the family or people who are allowed (authorized) to make decisions for the patient.
• The OPO, eye bank, or tissue bank explains the donation process to the family and asks authorized decision makers to give consent allow the patient's organs and/or tissues to be donated.
• If the patient is not medically able to donate organs or tissues, their family will not be asked to consider donation.

If the patient becomes an organ donor, the organs are matched to recipients on the waitlist based on federal guidelines.

If you die outside of the hospital, donation of eyes and tissues may be possible. Your family needs to tell the coroner or funeral home right away that you have died and explain the wishes of the deceased.

Organs are matched to people using medical information like blood type and body size. Recipients are matched up with people who are registered on a federally managed, national transplant waitlist. Other factors used to match donors with recipients include how sick the person on the waitlist is, how long they have been on the waiting list, the distance between the hospital where the donor is and the hospital where the recipient is, etc.

Factors such as race, gender, age, and income are not factors taken into consideration when matching organs and deciding who receives a transplant.

Organ donation does not usually change funeral arrangements. An open casket is possible.

No, there are no costs to your estate or your family for you to become a donor.

Medical schools have their own guidelines about accepting whole-body donations. Not all medical schools accept whole-body donations after organ, eye and/or tissue donation.

To donate your whole body, contact your preferred university or hospital. They can answer questions about coordinating organ and tissue donation and whole-body donation.

Contact the Association of Medical Schools of New York at info@amsny.org or call 212-218-4610 for more information on whole-body donation.