There are currently more than 110,000 people in the U.S. waiting to get an organ transplant, including more than 1,500 pediatric patients, and there is a shortage of available organs for them. What can you do?
You can note in your Advanced Health Care Directive whether or not you are willing to be an organ or tissue donor. You can work with an experienced estate attorney at McDevitt Law Office to draft an Advanced Health Care Directive and a living will which will dictate the type of medical care you want, including if you want your organs donated, and what organs are included. If you do choose to donate, be sure to also inform your loved ones, as they will most likely be the ones to inform the medical staff during an emergency.
Also, place the information on your driver’s license. Each state in the U.S. has a donor registry – add yourself when you apply for a license, or renew the one you have. Just place the sticker the Department of Motor Vehicles gives you on your license. You can also sign up online.
And, in a push to increase awareness about organ donation and boost much-needed donations, Facebook now allows users to ‘tag’ themselves as organ donors. The goal is to make your choice to donate visible and clear, in order to ensure that there is no need for your family or medical care team to second guess your wishes and waste valuable time.