What are the criteria for actual donation?
Organ Donation: Because vital organs must be kept oxygenated for successful transplantation, ventilators must sustain the donor’s body. Therefore, an organ donor candidate must 1) be on a ventilator 2) have a beating heart 3) be brain dead. Deaths meeting these criteria are very rare. The typical organ donor is someone who has suffered head trauma. Tissue Donation: Tissue donors must be free of cancer or infections. Eye Donation: Eye donors must be cancer-free above the neck, be free of infections, and have not had cornea surgery (including lasik). Whole Body Donation: When a person registers to become a donor on the state registry or at the DMV, it applies to transplantation only. In order to donate your body to science and medical research, you must either tell your family, or register with MERIN or IIAM. Please see our Links page for more information.
