Q.

What does it mean to join the Colorado Organ & Tissue Donor Registry?

A.

Being on the Donor Registry means that you have elected to have all of your organs and tissues made available for transplant at the time of your death. Sometimes, for medical reasons, organs and tissues cannot be transplanted. Your family will be informed of your decision to be an organ and tissue donor at the time of your death and asked to provide information about your medical and social history.  Restrictions to your gift can be recorded by visiting www.DonateLifeColorado.org. However, it is not necessary to restrict your gift for reasons of age or medical history. (Medical suitability can only be determined at the time of death.) Enrollment in the Donor Registry is not the only way to be a donor. If you decide to be a donor, but prefer not to join the Registry, it is important to tell your family about your decision. At the time of your death, your family will be contacted to make the decision to donate on your behalf.

Q.	What is the Donor Registry?
A.	The Colorado Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is a secure and confidential database listing everyone who has indicated their decision to be an organ and tissue donor.

Q.	How can I join the Registry?
A.	You can join by saying "yes" to donation while obtaining or renewing a driver's license or state identification card at any of the Colorado driver's license offices statewide. You can also join at public events, health fairs, or by calling 303-380-4802 or 888-256-4386. You may also enroll online at www.DonateLifeColorado.org.

Q.	Why is it important to join the Registry?
A.	The Registry provides on-the-spot information about an individual's decision to be a donor, which guarantees that an individual's decision to donate will be honored and respected.

Q.	Who may join the Registry and become an organ and tissue donor?
A.	Anyone can join the Donor Registry. Those under 18 years of age can join with the consent of parent or legal guardian.

Q.	If I agreed to donation on my driver's license, do I still need to join the Registry?
A.	Look for a "heart" symbol on the front of the license or ID card. The names of those who say "yes" to donation while obtaining or renewing a Colorado driver's license, permit, or identification card are automatically added to the Registry.

Q.	Who has access to the Registry?
A.	At the time of death, only official organ and tissue recovery agencies have access to the Registry. The only information available to those agencies is that which confirms a person's identity and decision to be a donor. Colorado law prohibits Registry information from being sold or shared with any company or government agency.

Q.	Should I tell my family about my decision?
A.	Yes. It is important to communicate your decision to your family so that they can support your decision, if and when the opportunity comes for you to be a donor.

Q.	Is there an age limit to being a donor?
A.	Anyone of any age can be a potential donor. So it is most important to register your decision.

Q.	Would chronic health problems make me ineligible for donation?
A.	Rarely does one's health condition completely rule out donation - even those with cancer or diabetes can be donors. Medical suitability is determined at the time of death.

Q.	Does my religion support organ and tissue donation?
A.	Yes. Donation is widely accepted by Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. All major religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it a gift, an act of charity. Many religions have position statements. Learn more in the Religious Beliefs Fact Sheet section of this web site.

Q.

Which organs and tissue can be donated?

A.

The heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, small intestine and pancreas are organs that can be donated. Transplantable tissue includes bone to prevent amputation, heart valves for children born with heart problems or adults who have heart disease, skin to act as a temporary covering for burn victims, corneas to restore sight, ligaments and tendons to repair injured joints and sapheneous veins for bypass surgery. Click here to view a diagram of transplantable organs and tissues.

Q.	Does donation disfigure the body?
A.	Donation neither disfigures the body nor changes the way it looks in a casket. There can be an open casket funeral after donation.

Q.	Are there any costs to my family for donation?
A.	Donation costs nothing to the donor's family or estate.

Q.	Will my decision to become an organ and tissue donor affect the quality of my medical care?
A.	No. Organ and tissue recovery takes place only after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared. The doctors working to save your life are entirely separate from the medical team involved in recovering organs and tissues.

Q.	Can I be a donor without being in the Registry?
A.	Yes, enrollment in the Registry is not an absolute requirement for donation. If you decide to be a donor, but prefer not to join the Registry, it is all the more important that you tell your family about your decision. However, telling your family about your decision and joining the Registry is still the best action to take.

Q.	Can I take my name out of the Registry if I change my mind later?
A.	Yes, you may do so by calling 303-380-4802 or 888-256-4386; request a confirmation card be sent by mail. The card will describe how you can remove your name from the Registry. You may also fill out the online renewal form at www.DonateLifeColorado.org.

Q.	Do I have to die to donate?
A.	No. Living people can donate a kidney, a liver lobe, and/or a lung lobe, usually to family members. You can also help by becoming a blood donor, joining the National Registry of Marrow Donors, or donating cord blood. For more information, Contact Bonfils Blood Center at www.bonfils.org.

Q.	Is the availability or access to organs affected by race or wealth?
A.	No. Federal law establishes full and equal access to donated organs and tissue for all potential recipients on the basis of need and availability, not race or wealth. A national system matches critically ill patients on a nationwide waiting list with donated organs, based on medical urgency and compatibility such as blood type, tissue match, and body size. Buying and selling organs is illegal.

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