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Frequently Asked Questions
Signing Up
- Heart
- Liver
- Kidneys
- Lungs
- Pancreas
- Small Intestine
Tissue donation includes:
- Corneas
- Eyes
- Skin
- Bone
- Tendons
- Ligaments
- Vessels
- Heart valves
Why is it important to make sure my family is aware of my decision to donate?
Sharing your decision to become a donor is just as important as making the decision. Joining the Maryland Donor Registry is more than just an expression of interest in becoming a donor. It is consent for organ, eye and tissue donation upon your death. Losing a loved one is an emotional time for family members. If they are aware of your decision, it will avoid confusion and they will be comforted that your wishes are being carried out. It's also important to tell family members about your decision because medical and social history is needed at the time of death, and the next-of-kin is approached for that information.
Is donation compatible with my religious beliefs?
Though the answers vary from one denomination to another, research has found that the vast majority of religions do support donation and transplantation. Click Religious Beliefs to check your denomination or contact your religious leader for more information.
Can my family override my decision to donate?
Once you sign up with the Donate Life Maryland registry, your donor designation grants authorization for organ, eye and tissue recovery. Should you be in the position to donate, your next of kin will be presented with documentation of your registration but will not have the power to override your decision. It is important to tell your next of kin or healthcare power of attorney of your wishes so that they may be prepared to cooperate with the health care team about your medical history.
A donor designation on your Maryland driver’s license and/or a signed and witnessed donor card does grant authorization for organ, eye and/or tissue recovery, but due to the suddenness and emotion surrounding the circumstances, both documents are rarely available at the time a family is approached regarding donation.
With the Donate Life Maryland registry, your desire to donate is stored in a secure, confidential database. Should your death result in the opportunity for you to be a donor, an official record of your donor designation will be readily available and cannot be overturned by your family. Thus, should you be medically suitable to donate, your wishes will be respected and your family will be relieved of the burden of making a decision on your behalf.
Does my age, pre-existing medical condition, or sexual orientation prevent me from being a donor?
Do not rule yourself out. The fact that you want to be a donor is something to be celebrated, and we encourage you to register your decision with pride. Age, most medical conditions or sexual orientation do not exclude you from being a suitable organ, eye and tissue donor. (In fact, there have recently s been a 93-year-old kidney donor, and 83-year-old liver donor and a 99-year-old cornea donor!) There are very few automatic rule-outs, and due to medical advancements, even some of these may change over time. In the event you are in a position to be an actual donor, medical specialists will evaluate your medical history to determine your suitability to donate. If you wish to be a donor, sign up!
Can I sign up my children?
Due to federal privacy laws prohibiting the collection of personal information for individuals under age 13, the Donate Life Maryland registry is unable to accept registrations for children 12 and under. Until registrants and non-registrants alike are 18 years old, their parents (or legal guardians) will make the final decision about organ, eye and tissue donation at the appropriate time. Your wish to make that decision for your children should be shared with your family.
How do you ensure that someone does not sign up another person without his or her knowledge or consent?
Of the 40+ state donor registries now in operation, to date there have been no reported problems with persons registering people other than themselves. The authenticity of the registrant can be determined using the date/time of the registration, personal information requested during the signup process and the confirmation email address if used. Family members are also consulted at the time of donation and will be able to verify the donor’s information at that time.
Does the registry allow me to sign up to be a marrow or living organ donor?
We are pleased to include on the registry links to information about blood, marrow and living kidney donation here, but this is a registration for deceased donation wishes only.
Does my registration grant consent for whole body donation?
Signing up with Donate Life Maryland does not grant permission for your body to be donated to medical schools. Organ, eye and tissue donation for transplant or research is not the same as willed body donation. The Anatomy Board, a unit of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, administers the state’s whole body donation program that supports medical-health education, training and research study conducted by Maryland colleges and universities. It is possible to become both an organ, eye and tissue donation as well as consent to whole body donation. Sign up on the Maryland Donor Registry to become a designated organ, eye and tissue donor. See our links for whole body donation.
I have an advance directive authorizing donation of my organs, eyes and tissues. Should I also register with the Donate Life Maryland registry, or will the advance directive be enough?
Due to the rapid and emotional nature of events surrounding sudden death, often times families do not have time to check legal documents prior to being approached about donation. However, since the Donate Life Maryland registry is viewed in all potential donation cases prior to approaching the family, recovery personnel are able to share proof of registration with family members at the time donation is discussed with them.
I have a friend serving as my health care proxy, with a signed power of attorney. Can that person authorize donation for me?
Yes. The holder of a health care power of attorney may make donation decisions. However, if you are registered on Donate Life Maryland, that registration is a first person authorization, and your proxy will be presented with that information at the appropriate time. It is best to discuss all your end of life decisions with your proxy at the time you sign the power of attorney.
Is it possible to restrict my donation from specific groups?
Federal law does not allow you to restrict your donation to or from specific classes of individuals. Checking the “Donation Limitations” box on the signup page allows you to opt out of donating specific organs, eyes and/or tissues or having your organs, eyes and/or tissues donated for research.
How do people in other states sign up? Is there a national registry?
There is no national registry. All matters concerning organ and tissue donation are under the jurisdiction of each state’s respective laws. On this web site, you cannot register to donate on Maryland’s Donor Registry if you are not a Maryland resident. On the registration page other residents are directed to DonateLife.net for further information about how to become a donor in their state.
What if I don’t have access to a computer?
If you do not have access to your own computer, you may sign up at your neighborhood library. If you do not have an email account, you will not receive an email confirmation that you have signed up on the registry. You will receive written confirmation.
I don’t want to sign up online. Is there any other way to register?
In addition to online registrations, you may sign up with the Donate Life Maryland registry when you apply for or renew your driver license or ID card through the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
If you are unable to sign up online or via the DMV, you may sign a donor card to indicate your wishes. However, you should share your decision with your next of kin or health care proxy in case the donor card is not available at the time you become a candidate to actually donate.
After signing Up
How do I print my registration card?
The screen that confirms your registration displays your unique Registration ID and Password. It also includes a donor card that can be cut out and placed in your wallet. It is not necessary to carry a donor card, as you are registered in the Donate Life Maryland database. At any time, you may return to the registry website, click on Already registered, enter your login information, then print the confirmation screen.
What do I do if I’ve lost my Registration ID number and/or my password?
Please contact a Donate Life Maryland registry administrator at info@DonateLifeMD.org. Also, you may sign up again with your most current information and your most recent registration record will be used in the event that you are a potential donor. However, it is recommended that you keep your Registration ID and password in a safe place for making updates.
How do I make changes to my registration?
If you sign up online, the screen that confirms your registration displays your unique Registration ID and Password. If you sign up at the DMV, your driver license number acts as your Registration ID number. At any time, you may visit the registry website, click on Update My Donor Profile, enter your login information, then change your password, personal information, specify donation limitations or remove your name from the Donate Life Maryland registry.
If something should happen to me while I am traveling, what role does my registration on the Donate Life Maryland registry play?
All matters concerning organ, eye and tissue donation are under the jurisdiction of each state’s or country’s respective laws. While your Donate Life Maryland registration will not serve as legally binding consent for donation outside of Maryland, it will serve as a clear indication of your wish to donate and will be shared with your family when they are approached by the local recovery agency.
Donation Basics
What is organ, eye and tissue donation?
Organ, eye and tissue donation is the process of recovering organs, eyes and tissue from a deceased person and transplanting them into others in order to save or enhance the lives of those in need. Up to eight lives can be saved through organ donation, and another 50 lives may be improved through tissue donation and give the gift of renewed vision to two people.
How many people need donated organs, eyes and tissue?
There are currently more than 2,000 Maryland residents and more than 98,000 people in the U.S. waiting for organ transplants (www.unos.org). Each year, approximately 6,000 people die waiting for an organ transplant that would have given them a second chance at life with their families. In addition, each year hundreds of thousands of people benefit from donated tissue and corneal grafts that is used for life-saving, sight restoring and reconstructive purposes.
Who is responsible for managing the organ donation process?
The entire state of Maryland with the exception of Charles county, Montgomery county and Prince George’s county is served by the Living Legacy Foundation (LLF) of Maryland. The District of Columbia as well as the Maryland counties of Charles, Montgomery and Prince Georges’s are part of the service area of Washington Regional Transplant Community (WRTC). Both organizations ore federally designated, non-profit organ procurement organizations(OPO). LLF and WRTC are responsible for facilitating the donation process. Organ recovery and allocation is regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
How do you determine who receives the organs?
Organs are allocated nationally based on a complex medical formula that is established by transplant doctors, public representatives, ethicists, and organ recovery agencies. UNOS (the United Network for Organ Sharing at www.unos.org) maintains the list of patients waiting for a transplant. A donor's blood type, tissue type, body weight, and size are matched against patients on the list. If there are multiple matches, priority is given to the sickest patients or, in the case of kidneys, those who have been on the waiting list the longest. Factors such as race, gender, age, income or celebrity status are never considered when determining who receives an organ.
How can my organs, eyes and tissues be used for research?
Organs, eyes and tissues that are not recovered for transplant may be recovered by the local recovery organizations for pre-approved medical research if the donor (or family, in lieu of a registry record) authorizes such. All research projects are carefully evaluated by each recovery organization, and only those projects that offer clear medical benefit and are administered by experienced, reputable organizations are approved.
What if I don’t want my organs, eyes and/or tissues to be used for research, education and therapy?
Donated organs, eyes and tissues may be used for two purposes: transplantation and medical research, education and therapy. The Donate Life Maryland registry allows you to opt out of donating organs and/or tissues for research.
During the sign up process, check off the “Donation Limitations” box and check the “For Research” box under organs, eyes and tissues.
If you have already signed up online or via the MVA, you may go to the registry website, click on Update My Info, enter your login information, then specify donation limitations. While updating your profile you may also change your password and personal information or remove your name from the Donate Life Maryland registry.
Can I specify which organs and tissues I donate?
Checking the “Donation Limitations” box on the sign up page allows you to opt out of donating specific organs, eyes and/or tissues or donating for medical research. In addition, you can specify that your donated organs, eyes and/or tissue must be used for life-saving or reconstructive purposes only, distributed only to non-profit organizations, or distributed only in the United States.
Can organs, eyes and tissue be given to people of a different racial group or gender?
In most cases, race and gender are not factors. However, organ size (which can be affected by gender) is critical to match a donor heart, lung or liver with a recipient. Genetic makeup can be a factor when matching a kidney or pancreas donor and recipient, because of the importance of tissue matching in those two organs. Optimal tissue matching can happen often within the same racial and genetic background. For example, an individual of Asian descent may match better with a kidney donated from another Asian versus a different race. However, cross-racial donations can and do happen with great success when matches are available.
If a family member is in need of an organ at the time of my death, can I specify that he or she is to receive it?
So-called “directed donation” of an organ to a specific individual is legal, but it must be done at the time of donation. (Organs may not be directed to a group of individuals.) Directed donation is best supported by an advance directive or may be granted by next of kin at the time of donation.
Medical Questions
If I am registered as a donor, will my medical care be affected?
No! Medical and nursing care are not affected in any way by your status as a registered donor. Every attempt is made to save your life.
Under what circumstances can a person be an organ donor?
In most cases resulting in organ donation, the patient has suffered a traumatic brain injury and brain death. After all life-saving efforts have been exhausted and it is determined that the patient’s death is imminent, the patient must remain on ventilator support. The reason for this is that the heart and lungs must continue to function after the patient dies so that the transplantable organs continue to function. In some cases of irrecoverable injury to the brain, if the patient’s heart stops beating, some organs other than the heart may quickly be recovered for transplantation.
Under what circumstances can a person be an eye and/or tissue donor?
Virtually all deceased persons, regardless of cause of death, may potentially be eye and or tissue donors. Unlike organ donation, it is not necessary for heart and lung function to be maintained on a ventilator. Once a death is reported to the local recovery agency, protocols require that the family be contacted within several hours regarding the opportunity to donate. This request comes at a time during the family’s grief, but it is done only in the interest of honoring the wishes of the potential donor and helping those in need of donated tissue.
If I suffer a grave injury, how does the process work?
If a patient arrives at the hospital with a grave brain injury, the hospital contacts the local organ procurement organization (OPO). While the hospital continues aggressive life-saving efforts, The OPO determines whether the patient is a registered organ, eye and/or tissue donor. This information helps to guide the health care team regarding how the family should be approached should death be determined to be imminent for that patient.
Only if the patient is medically suitable to donate and only after the family has been informed of the patient’s imminent death is the opportunity to donate discussed with the family. Only after the family has been presented with documentation of the patient’s donor designation (which legally grants authorization to recover organs, eyes and/or tissues – or, in cases where there is no registration or donor card present, the family grants authorization) does the process move forward.
If I am a donor, what kind of tests do they conduct on my body?
Once death has been declared and authorization is received through the donor registry (or from the family in lieu of a registration), medical professionals must conduct tests to determine whether the patient is suitable to be a donor. Blood tests and other standard medical procedures determine the patient’s blood type, kidney and liver function, exposure to transmittable diseases, and tissue typing for the purpose of matching the kidneys to recipients. These tests are medically necessary in order to save as many lives as possible.
I think I may need an organ transplant. How do I get added to the list?
The process of joining the UNOS National Organ Transplant Waiting List begins with your physician referring you to a transplant center for evaluation. The transplant center will then evaluate you to determine whether you are a suitable candidate for a transplant.
Financial Questions
Can organs, eyes and/or tissue be sold?
No. Buying and selling organs, eyes and/or tissue for the purpose of transplantation is illegal in the United States. Under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 1984, human organs, eyes and tissue cannot be bought or sold, and violators are subject to fines and imprisonment. This strict regulation prevents any type of "black market" for organs, eyes and tissue in the United States. Medically speaking, illegal sales are impossible because recovered organs, eyes and tissue must be appropriately matched to recipients and distributed according to national policy established by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
Is my family or estate charged for donation?
No. There is no cost to the donor’s family for organ, eye and tissue donation. Once death has been declared and authorization is confirmed through the donor registry, or from the family in lieu of the registry, all costs associated with organ and/or tissue recovery are assumed by the organ, eye and tissue recovery organization. Hospital expenses incurred before the donation of organs or tissues in attempt to save the donor’s life and funeral expenses remain the responsibility of the donor’s family.
Who pays for donated organs, eyes and tissue?
All costs associated with recovery are assumed by the organ and tissue recovery organization. These costs are then reimbursed by transplant centers (who in turn bill private and public insurance plans) and by Medicare, in the case of kidney transplants.
Will my family be paid for the recovery of my organs, eyes and/or tissue?
No. Donor families do not receive payment for organ, eye and tissue donation. In the United States, it is illegal to sell human organs, eyes or tissue.
Family/Social Questions
What if my family members are opposed to donation?
Once an individual has made the decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor and has joined the Donate Life Maryland registry, that individual’s decision is honored. Family members cannot override that individual’s decision to donate. At the time when donation is possible, family members will be informed of their loved one's wish to donate and walked through the process so they will know and understand how the recovery agency will carry out the deceased's decision to be a donor. In the event of a loved one’s sudden death, it will ease the family’s pain to already know the wishes of their loved one regarding donation. For this reason we recommend that you share your wishes with your family today
Is donation compatible with my religious beliefs?
Though the answers vary from one denomination to another, research has found that the vast majority of religions do support donation and transplantation. Click Religious Beliefs to check your denomination or contact your religious leader for more information.
Does donation affect funeral arrangements?
The body is treated with great respect and dignity throughout the process, and the donor's appearance following donation still allows for an open-casket funeral. Once the organ, eye and/or tissue recovery process is completed, the body is released to the donor’s family (or, if legally required first, to the local medical examiner’s office). From the time the donation process begins, the entire process is usually completed within 24 to 36 hours, and the family may then proceed with funeral arrangements.
Why do you ask for my ethnicity during the signup process?
We ask for each registrant to identify their ethnicity as a way to monitor our effectiveness at encouraging all diverse communities in Maryland to sign up with the registry. Organs, eyes and tissue are allocated anonymously according to medical criteria, such as blood type and size/weight compatibility. Transplant recipients have no control or advance knowledge of the age, race, gender or ethnicity of their deceased donors. Regardless of who the donor is, all transplant recipients are thankful to receive the gift of life.
Do the donor and recipient families meet?
The identity of all parties is kept confidential. The donor family and the transplant recipient may receive such information as age, gender, occupation and state of residence. Individually, the recipient may be told the circumstances of the donor’s death. The donor family may be informed of the transplants that were performed and receive information on improvements to the health of the recipients. The donation agencies facilitate anonymous correspondence and meetings initiated by either the donor family or recipient and only if agreed to by both parties.
Will your family know who gets your organs, eyes and tissue?
No. Confidentiality is provided both for the donor families and the recipients. The recovery agency can act as a liaison if the recipient wishes to correspond anonymously with the donor family, or vice versa. It is only after extended anonymous communication, and the agreement of both parties, that the names are released.
Maryland online Registry Questions
Who is responsible for administering the registry?
The Donate Life Maryland registry is authorized by the State of Maryland (pursuant to the Organ and Tissue Donor Registry Act of 2006) and operated by Donate Life Maryland under the authorization from the U.S. Department of Heath & Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
What is the registry’s relationship to Maryland’s Department of Motor Vehicles (MVA)?
The MVA’s driver license and ID card application and renewal forms include the question: "Do you wish to be an organ and tissue donor?" Checking YES on the form automatically enrolls the applicant in the Donate Life Maryland registry, and the red heart will be pre-printed on the applicant’s driver license or ID card.
How can I be sure my information is kept confidential?
As a state-authorized public service, Donate Life Maryland adheres to the strictest and most up-to-date guidelines to keep all personal information confidential. Aside from standard information such as name and address, the only sensitive information required is place of birth, while mother’s maiden name and driver’s license number are optional. Why collect this information? Because it is absolutely vital that individual registrants are identified with 100% certainty if they should ever be in a position to be an actual organ, eye or tissue donor. We would never want to confuse a patient who is not registered with someone who is.
You may rest assured that every technical precaution is in place to protect the information from identity thieves. Of the 40+ state donor registries now in operation, there are no reported problems with unauthorized access to personal information.
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