Becoming An Organ Donor
How do I become an organ donor?
To become an organ donor, you can either go onto our website which is: www.transplantsinmind.org.uk, or you can pick up a leaflet such as this from the doctor's surgery, or dentist or around the country - you should be able to pick them up. Fill it in and sent it off, it is free post and it goes on to the organ donor register. This form actually puts your wishes onto the register stating that you are prepared, at the event of your death, to become an organ donor.
What is the NHS Donor Register?
The Organ Donor Register is a database where medical staff can actually access your wishes - that in the case of your demise you want to become an organ donor. When you filled out your organ donor register, that puts your wishes on to that database. Hopefully your next of kin will actually go along with your wishes and this is one of the reasons that we encourage you to tell your next of kin and your family and friends that this is what you've done. You've put your wishes on to the Organ Donor Register and that registers your wishes that you would like to become a donor.
Why do I need to decide to be a donor?
To register onto the organ donor register is to register your wishes that if anything happens to you, you are willing to become an organ donor. By registering your wishes onto the register you are helping your next of kin by letting them know and letting the medical staff know that this is your wish. Because we are losing 41% of the people at the time of asking because the next of kin don't know their relatives wishes. Where if you are on the register the medical staff can access it and they can go to your next of kin and say have you discussed this. Did you know their wishes are to become a donor.
Do I need to register if I have a donor card?
Yes, you do need to register if you have a donor card. Donor cards are wonderful things, and you can put them into your wallet. You can actually open your wallet at the pub and get discussions about “What's that in your wallet”, and it gets people talking about organ donation. But you do need to register, because you don't always have your donor card with you, where actually onto the database, on the organ donor register and the medical staff can access and they will be able to know that that is your wishes.
Can a parent register their child as a donor?
Anybody can register their child as a donor. There is no upper or lower age limit on organ donation for transplantation. I actually do know of somebody who actually registered their eight week old baby one time when we were with the donor bus. Because, as he said, if his child needed an organ where would it come from and he was prepared to give as well as to receive.
