Many people have misconceptions about organ and tissue donation. These misconceptions can often discourage them from registering as organ donors.
According to Donate Life America, over 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Every day, 13 people die waiting for a transplant.
Each organ donor has the potential to save eight lives and improve the lives of more than 75 others. That’s why it’s important to dispel myths about organ donation.
Discover 10 organ donation myths and facts, some of which may surprise you.
Find out how to register to become an organ donor and get more information on organ donation.
1. You can donate organs and tissues while you’re alive.
Public awareness is increasing about living donation. But some people are still surprised to learn that they can donate certain organs and tissues while they’re alive.
Organs you can donate while you’re alive include:
- One kidney.
- One lobe of your lung.
- Part of your liver.
- Part of your pancreas or intestines.
Living-donor kidney transplants and living-donor liver transplants are most common.
You can also donate certain tissues, including:
- Amnion.
- Blood.
- Bone.
- Bone marrow and umbilical cord blood cells.
- Skin.
Living donors can go on to live full, healthy lives.
At UPMC, we have extensive expertise in performing living-donor transplants. Living donation helps reduce the shortage of organs and allows patients to receive lifesaving transplants sooner.
According to UNOS, about 7,000 living donations took place in the United States in 2024.
2. Elderly and chronically sick people can become organ donors.
You may be wondering if anyone can become an organ donor. The answer is yes — everyone has the potential to donate.
Advanced age and a history of serious diseases do not automatically disqualify you from becoming an organ donor. There are no organ donation age or health restrictions for deceased donations. Medical professionals assess your condition at the time of your death to determine what tissues or organs are viable to donate.
To register as an organ donor in Pennsylvania, you can go to a PennDOT Photo License Center or to the PennDOT website. You can also go to the Donate Life America website.
3. First responders and doctors work equally hard to save the lives of registered organ donors as they do nondonors in a crisis.
You’ve probably heard the myth that a person’s organ donation status affects the care they receive in a life-threatening emergency. But medical professionals don’t consider organ or tissue donor status until death is declared. They work just as hard to save all patients.
4. Donating organs or tissue does not make it necessary to have a closed-casket funeral.
Organizations that procure and process organ and tissue donations do so in a way that preserves the donor’s dignity and appearance.
Although this question is not the most common, it’s still an important one for most donors and their loved ones. Thankfully, it isn’t an issue.
5. Your donated organs and tissues can help or save many more lives than you’d think.
The benefits of organ donation are many. Organ and tissue donors can:
- Save eight lives through organ donation.
- Help more than 75 people with tissue donation.
- Restore sight to two people through corneal donation.
6. Almost every major religion encourages organ donation as an act of charity and goodwill.
Contrary to some assumptions, leaders of almost every major religion have agreed that organ donation is a charitable act. No major religion outright forbids it. Many leave it up to the donor.
If you’re concerned about how your religion views organ donation, a conversation with your faith leader may help.
7. Social status, fame, net worth, gender, and ethnicity are never considered when pairing donors with recipients.
No one receives preferential treatment on the transplant waiting list. The following factors determine who will receive an available organ:
- Blood type.
- Body size.
- Distance to the donor.
- Medical urgency.
- Time on the waitlist.
- Tissue or organ needed.
8. Donors’ family members are not financially responsible for the recovery and processing of donated tissue and organs after death.
The costs associated with recovered, processed, and transplanted organs or tissue never fall to a deceased donor’s family members. The only costs they’re responsible for are for medical care before death and funeral arrangements.
9. While the kidneys, liver, and heart are the most commonly transplanted organs, many more organs and tissues can be donated.
Some life-changing transplants are not the ones you hear about. The following organs can be donated after death:
- Intestines
- Heart
- Kidneys
- Liver
- Lungs
- Pancreas
Donors can also provide the following tissues:
- Arteries and veins.
- Bone.
- Corneas.
- Heart valves.
- Nerves.
- Skin.
That’s how a single organ and tissue donor can affect so many lives.
Many inspiring stories about organ donation come from these lesser-known procedures.
10. You can do much more than simply become a donor yourself.
Registering to become an organ donor is the first step to improving or saving lives. But there’s much more you can do.
Here are some of the other things you can do to support organ and tissue donation:
- Ask friends and family whether they’ve registered.
- Encourage more living donors to help by contributing financially to the American Transplant Association’s patient assistance program.
- Host an event to raise awareness for an individual on the organ donor waiting list.
- Join UPMC’s Donate Life conversation online.
- Share this article with your social networks.
Together, we can close the gap between the number of eligible donors and the number of people on the waiting list.
To register as an organ, eye, or tissue donor, visit UPMC.com/DonateLife.
Editor's Note: This gallery was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .