MYTHS, MISCONCEPTIONS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS

MYTH: "Donation disfigures the body. We can't have an open casket funeral."

FACT: Donation DOES NOT disfigure the body. Skilled transplant surgeons treat the donor with the utmost respect and care. Because there is no disfigurement and no obvious suturing, donation does not interfere with the family’s choice of funeral plans including an open casket.

MYTH: "Donation takes a long time, it will delay the funeral."

FACT: Donation MUST BE accomplished within hours of the family giving consent. The time between declaration of death and donation is 12 to 14 hours for most organs and tissues.

MYTH: "Donation goes against our religion."

FACT: All major organized religions in the United States support or permit donation and consider it an act of charity.

MYTH: "Donation adds extra costs for donor families."

FACT: Donation costs the donor family nothing.

MYTH: "The doctors will take organs before the patient is really dead."

FACT: Organ recovery takes place only after all efforts to save life have been exhausted, and TWO doctors have declared brain death. The family is then consulted regarding donation.

MYTH: "If you are either wealthy or a celebrity, you will get a transplant sooner than others."

FACT: Wealth and celebrity status DO NOT give you priority. Organs are placed based on strict medical criteria. The allocation system is based on a national computerized system, run by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), out of Richmond, Virginia. UNOS is a national organization which matches donors with recipients. When a donor becomes available, the computer prioritizes who should be given an organ based on blood and tissue match-ups, geographic proximity, medical urgency and time on the waiting list. It is a fair and equitable system. The only thing lacking is donors. That's why it's so important to talk to your family about donating life.

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