When crafting your estate plan, you may eventually reach a point where you are asked, “Do you want to be an organ donor?”
Donors are desperately needed to contribute, upon their death, any vital organs for transplants into the living. Organ donation can include your kidneys, lungs, heart, intestines, skin, hands, corneas and more. On average, what you leave behind in your own body can save up to eight lives and help 75 more.
You can use your estate plan to establish your preferences
Despite its benefits for others, organ donation is a very personal topic – and you don’t owe anyone an explanation for your decision (for or against) regarding organ donation. Here are some things to consider:
- Are there limits on what you are comfortable doing? For example, you may feel like anybody who can use your heart, liver, lungs or other internal organs can have them – but you may draw the line at donating your hands or face for transplants.
- Do you have any beliefs that would affect organ donation? You need to reflect on how the whole idea of organ donation fits into your own value system. You also need to consider your religious faiths’ stance on organ donation before you commit.
- How will the idea of organ donation affect your loved ones? You know your family best, and there may be some who are deeply disturbed by the idea of organ donation. You may want to consider the psychological effect of donation on your loved ones before you agree.
Ultimately, you can make your preferences known through things like advance directives and a conversation with your health care proxy – and you can incorporate organ donation into your estate plan.
