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About Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation

The gift of organ and tissue donation truly saves and enhances lives, thanks to the heroic donors and courageous families. It offers hope right here in our community and throughout our state. ​ LifeShare is a nonprofit organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant purposes . Working in partnership with healthcare teams and other medical professionals, LifeShare provides extensive and compassionate services to help ensure every opportunity for donation and transplantation.  We encourage you to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation and get involved with LifeShare to help spread the word. Our core purpose is to  save lives.
​

How Organ Donation Works

​STEP 1
PATIENT ASSESSMENT
Death can occur in one of two ways: (1) cardiac death, when the heart is no longer able to beat on its own, and (2) brain death, which is the irreversible loss of function of the brain. When the family decides to remove mechanical support, donation discussions begin.​
STEP 2
HOSPITAL CALLS LIFESHARE
​The Hospital calls LifeShare within 60 minutes for patients who are vented and meet hospital clinical triggers.
STEP 3
FAMILY DISCUSSION
LifeShare staff discusses the opportunity for donation with the family and hospital care team.
STEP 4
MEDICAL EVALUATION
​A donor is medically evaluated.
STEP 5
MATCHING
Organ allocation takes place and patient is taken to operating room for organ procurement.
STEP 6
SURGICAL RECOVERY, PRESERVATION & TRANSPORT
Surgical Recovery takes place – and organs are either placed on pumps or packaged and delivered to a transplant center.
STEP 7
AFTERCARE
​LifeShare provides aftercare and grief support to donor families.
Video courtesy of The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO)
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Organ Donation

The vast majority of Americans support donation as an opportunity to let their organs and tissue give live and health to others when they no longer need them. ONE organ donor can save up to EIGHT lives. Transplantable organs include:
HEART
Replaces a failing or
​non-functioning heart
LUNGS
Replaces failing lungs due to cystic
fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, COPD
​and other lung problems
INTESTINES
Replaces bowel due to short bowel syndrome caused by necrotizing enterocolitis, Crohn's disease and
​other problems
LIVER
​Replacement for people with
end-stage liver disease, hepatitis
​or cirrhosis
KIDNEYS
​Saving patients with kidney failure
​and removing them from dialysis
PANCREAS
​Treats diabetes that cannot be controlled
​by insulin, diet and exercise
Ralph Howell
Heart Recipient
REGISTER TODAY!
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Frequently Asked Questions About Organ Donation

Today a severe shortage of organs for transplantation exists in our country. Despite continuing efforts at public education, misconceptions and inaccuracies about donation persist. It is a tragedy if even one person decides against donation because they do not know the truth. Following is a list of the most common questions about donation and transplantation. 
Q.  if emergency room doctors know you're an organ donor, will they work as hard to save you?
A.  If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life. Organ and tissue recovery takes place only after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared. The medical team treating you is completely separate from the organ recovery team. ​
Q.  DOES CERTAIN HISTORY OF MEDICAL ILLNESS MEAN YOUR ORGANS OR TISSUES ARE UNFIT FOR DONATION?
A.  At the time of death, the appropriate medical professionals will review your medical and social history to determine whether you will be a candidate for donation. Each potential donor is evaluated on a case by case basis. With recent advances in transplantation, more people have the opportunity to become donors.  LifeShare suggests that you do not rule yourself out as a potential donor due to illness, let the medical professionals determine if you are a suitable candidate.
​Q.  Am I too old to be a donor?
A.  People of all ages and medical histories will be considered as potential donors. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine which organs and tissue can be donated, not your age. Don't rule yourself out as a potential donor due to age, let the medical professionals determine if you are a suitable candidate.
Q.  Does my family have to pay for organ and tissue donation?
A.  No. The donor family is never billed for expenses related to donation. LifeShare pays for all procedures, tests or evaluations needed following legal death for the donation process. Funeral costs remain the responsibility of the family.
Q.  Does organ and tissue donation disfigure the body or change the way it looks in the casket?
A.  LifeShare works closely with all state funeral homes to implement the best practices and techniques in donation with the hope of returning your loved one to you with minimal if any change to their appearance. ​
Q.  Do celebrities and people with money get transplanted more quickly than those without?
A.   No. Matching organs to recipients is based strictly on medical criteria and has nothing to do with notoriety or wealth. The process for matching a recipient with a donor is dependent upon how sick an individual is and who is the best match for the organ.
Q.  Do some religions prohibit donation?
A.  All major organized religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it an act of charity.
​Q.  Can your family override your wish to be a donor?
A.  Because of our state's First Person Consent law, it is not necessary to get permission from the family if a person has expressed his or her desire to be a donor in a "document of gift", such as a driver's license, state ID card or enrollment in Oklahoma's online donor registry, the LifeShare Donor Registry. We strongly believe that a person's wish to donate must be honored, if medically possible. Organ and tissue recovery coordinators will always talk to the family about the donation before it takes place. Oklahomans are urged to share their decision to be a donor with their families.

If you are under 18, you may declare your intent to be a donor in any document of gift, however, permission from a parent or guardian must be obtained before donation can actually take place.
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Tissue Donation

ONE tissue donor can restore health and enhance the lives of more than 75 people. ​
Corneas
Replace diseased or damaged cornea, reinforce wall of eye
Heart Valves
Replaces damaged heart valves
Skin
Skin grafts for burn victims, abdominal wall repair, breast reconstruction after mastectomy, rotator cuff repair
Bone
Spinal fusion, reconstruction related
​to trauma, tumors, disease and fractures,
​fill defects
TENDONS
​Replaces torn ligaments to restore
​mobility and decrease pain
CARTILAGE
Joint restoration and resurfacing

Jillian Sulley
Cornea Recipient

REGISTER TODAY!
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Frequently Asked Questions About Tissue Donation

​HOW DO I KNOW IF MY LOVED ONE IS ELIGIBLE TO DONATE?
​We work closely with all the hospitals in the state of Oklahoma to ensure your loved one is eligible. ​
​WHY ARE YOU CALLING SO SOON AFTER MY LOVED ONE PASSES?
​Tissue is only viable for a short time after death to be eligible for transplantation. We have short window of time to discuss donation and once authorization is received, we work quickly to coordinate the recovery process. ​
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER HAS REQUESTED TO INVESTIGATE MY LOVED ONES PASSING. CAN THEY STILL DONATE?
We work closely with the Medical Examiner’s office to ensure both organizations can fulfill their duties. Tissue recovery does not interfere with the Medical Examiner’s investigation. ​
​ARE THERE ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT I WILL INCUR IF MY LOVED ONE IS A TISSUE DONOR?
Costs associated with donation are covered by LifeShare. The only financial responsibility of you and your family is hospital costs not associated with donation as well as funeral arrangement costs. If you are having a hard time finding a funeral home or would like more information on whole body donation options, please contact the family specialist that you spoke with for more information. ​
DOES RECOVERY HAPPEN AT THE HOSPITAL OR SOMEWHERE ELSE?
Tissue recovery is performed at LifeShare’s dedicated tissue recovery suite located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Once we receive authorization, recovery will take place within a few hours. Once recovery is completed, we take special care of our donors and will return them to the funeral home that you have chosen. ​
​CAN WE STILL HAVE A VIEWING FOR MY LOVED ONE'S SERVICE?
​Absolutely! Tissue donation does not impact viewing. We work closely with all funeral homes in the state of Oklahoma to ensure all family wishes are met. Funeral arrangements are not impacted by tissue donation. ​
HOW DO I OBTAIN A DEATH CERTIFICATE?
Death certificates are provided by your funeral home and should be discussed with your funeral home director. ​
​WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
​All paperwork needed for your loved one to become a tissue donor is done over the phone. This process takes around 20-30 minutes. ​
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Matching Organ Donors

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the private, non-profit organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government.  Every lifesaving organ transplant is managed through UNOS’ computer system, which matches donors with potential transplant recipients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  UNOS collaborates with all organ procurement organizations (OPOs) and transplant centers in the United States. 

UNOS is involved in many aspects of the organ transplant and donation process:
  • Managing the national transplant waiting list, matching donors to recipients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  • Maintaining the database that contains all organ transplant data for every transplant event that occurs in the U.S.
  • Brings together the transplant community to develop policies that make the best use of the limited supply of organs and give all patients a fair chance at receiving the organ they need, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle or financial/social status.
  • Monitors every organ match to ensure organ allocation policies are followed.​
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What determines who will receive an organ?

Many factors are used to match organs with patients in need are the same for all organs.

Waiting List

Before an organ is allocated, all transplant candidates on the waiting list that are incompatible with the donor because of blood type, height, weight and other medical factors are automatically screened from any potential matches. Then, UNOS’ computer system determines the order that the other candidates will receive offers.

Geography

Organ transplants are most successful when preservation and transport time are short. The matching system considers the distance between donor and transplant hospitals. In general, local candidates get organ offers before those listed at more distant hospitals.​

Right Size

Proper organ size is critical to a successful transplant, which means that children often respond better to child-sized organs. Although pediatric candidates have their own unique scoring system, children essentially are first in line for other children’s organs.​
Oklahoma Legislation
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Ways to Join the Donor Registry

  1. ON YOUR LICENSE OR STATE ID CARD - When you get your driver’s license, state ID card or real ID, you will have an opportunity to say yes to organ, eye and tissue donation. You will also have an opportunity to donate one dollar to the Oklahoma Donor Education Fund. If you have registered on your driver's license,  state ID card or real ID, you do not need to register in any other way.

  2. ONLINE – If you have not registered on your driver’s license,  state ID card or real ID, you can go online anytime and register in just minutes at LifeShareRegistry.org. Registering online gives you the ability to access your registry page and change your donation information at any time.

  3. ON THE PHONE –You can call 800-826-LIFE (5433) and request that a donor registration form be mailed to you. After you fill out the form and return it, your name and donation wishes will be added to the LifeShare Donor Registry.

Removal from the Registry

If you have the little red heart on your driver’s license, that means you registered as an organ donor at a Tag Agency (now called Service Oklahoma). You will need to return to a Service Oklahoma location and get a new driver’s license. When asked the question if you want to be an organ donor select “skip.” You will be automatically removed within 24 hours from the registry.
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If you registered through our website, please call 405-840-5551 or email [email protected] and provide the following information:  
  1. Your full name.
  2. Your date of birth.
  3. Your email. *You will not be added to a mailing list. A member of our team will reach out to confirm your removal from the registry.
  4. Please explain why you would like to be removed from the registry.

Note: This data will be used for internal purposes only at LifeShare Network to improve our resources and conversations with potential donors. We understand that the decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor is your decision. If you would like more information about donation and to better understand how it saves lives, please reach out our team.

Please know it is still important to inform your family or next of kin about your decision regarding donation. If at any time you would like register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit LifeShareRegistry.org.