| Signing your New
York State Driver's License or the New
York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry isn't enough.
In the Greater New York metropolitan area, the New York Organ
Donor Network's service
area, we always request permission for organ and tissue
donation from the patient's next
of kin.
That's why it's so important for people to tell
their families about their wishes to donate organs and tissues.
A recent study by the Coalition
on Donation found that many potential donors don't share
their intentions with family members, fearing that the topic
will bring about misfortune. The same applies to people making
other end-of-life decisions, such as drawing up a will and
deciding how your loved ones will be able to live without
your support.
Yet simply letting family members know the facts
about organ
donation and tissue
donation will provide important details to make an informed
decision.
We have found that when next of kin were told
before about the wishes of their loved ones, consenting to
donation is easier for them. Indeed, when a loved one wishes
to be a donor, their family members believe they are fulfilling
his or her wishes in a profound way. Most often, donation
is a way of making sense out of a sudden loss for family members.
Organ and tissue donation can bring some comfort to those
who experience such a sudden loss.
The bottom line is this: If someone signs a
driver's license or registry and doesn't discuss this important
issue with loved ones, there is a possibility that their wishes
will not be followed. And not only that. More lives will be
lost in the process.
Fill out a Family
Notification Form.
|
