Organ Transplant
Becoming an Organ Donor
Donor organs are needed—there are currently more than 100,000 people on the national Reference organ transplant Opens New Window waiting list. If you are interested in donating an organ, contact the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) at 1-888-894-6361 or go online at www.unos.org to get more information and to locate the nearest transplant center.
You can donate an organ upon your death, or in some cases while you are alive. To learn more, see the topics:
Internet donor-matching services are set up to help people who need an organ transplant to contact potential living donors. Some experts believe these services undermine the current system, which is based on donated organs going to people who are most in need and those waiting the longest for a donor. Others believe online donor matching services provide a useful resource for helping people who have had problems finding a donor within the current system. For more information about these services, talk to your doctor.
You do not have to be a blood relative (such as a sibling or parent) of the person who receives your organ. You can be someone who is emotionally related to the person, such as a close friend or spouse, or you can even be a stranger.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference May 18, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine |
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