Are there age limits for becoming an organ donor?
There’s no specific cutoff age for donating organs. Newborns as well as senior citizens have been organ donors. If you are under age 18, you must have a parent’s or guardian’s consent. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age. If you smoke or drink two martinis a day and are in less than perfect health, can you still be an organ donor? It may turn out that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other organs and tissues are. Only medical professionals at the time of your death can determine that. Just a handful of medical conditions rule out organ donation, such as HIV-positive status, actively spreading cancer or certain severe, current infections. Does it cost anything to become an organ donor? No. The transplant surgery costs are the responsibility of the recipient. Does being an organ donor affect the quality of medical care given? No. The doctor or emergency room staff will work as hard to save a donor’s life as anyone else’s. T
