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A Gift For Life Book
A Guide for Families
Thoughts From The Parents of a Donor
Some Suggestions To Help With Your Grieving
Questions About Organ And Tissue Donation
How are the vital organs used?
Who can donate tissue and how is it used?
What happens once your decision to donate has been made?
Is there any cost to the family?
Will I be told who receives the donation?
An autopsy may be requested on some donors to determine the cause of death. If the death occurred in a suspicious manner or was the result of violence or accident, the medical examiner is consulted and he may also request an autopsy. An autopsy may provide valuable information that can protect the organ recipient and inform the donor family of the true cause of death. This information can be helpful in identifying potential health risks for the donor family. Your LifeNet Health transplant coordinator is available to answer any questions concerning the medical examiner's report. An autopsy will not interfere with an open viewing or other funeral arrangements. Specific timing should be discussed with your transplant coordinator.
No. Organ and tissue recovery is a surgical procedure and no disfigurement occurs. Due to the circumstances of your loved one's injuries, the appearance of the body may be affected. Great care is taken by the recovery agency and the funeral home to ensure that your loved one is presentable to you and your family.
No. Because the brain is dead, the nerve pathways that would conduct the feelings of pain no longer work. Therefore, no pain is experienced.
Is there any cost to the family?
No. There is no cost to the family for organ and tissue donation. If you have questions about your hospital or physicians' bill, please contact your transplant coordinator as soon as possible.
Will I be told who receives the donation?
To protect the recipient's and your confidentiality, names are not released as to those benefiting from your gift. However, you will be informed as to the general characteristics of the recipient and the outcome of the transplantation procedure. Even though some transplants do fail, it is important to remember that the memorial to your loved one is the act of giving and not in its success or failure. You may choose to write a letter to the recipients sharing your feelings, you can contact the Donor Family Advocate to obtain a brochure about how this is done.
How is the decision made about who gets what organ?
A computer listing of all persons in the United States waiting for organ transplants is kept by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), located in Richmond, Virginia. When a donor becomes available, UNOS is notified and a computer list is generated of potential recipients. The recipients are ranked according to specific medical and scientific criteria.
The list below is a sampling of what is available on the subject of grieving. There are many more very helpful books. LifeNet Health maintains a Donor Family Lending Library from which you may borrow. A bibliography is available through LifeNet Health's Donor Family Advocate.
Grief In General
HOW TO GO ON LIVING WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE DIES by Therese Rando
NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION: FOR THOSE WHO GIVE AND GRIEVE
THE JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF by Alan D. Wolfelt
WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE by Harold Kushner
COMPANION TO GRIEF by Patricia Kelley
THE MOURNING HANDBOOK by Helen Fitzgerald
Children And Grief
WHEN DINOSAURS DIE: A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING DEATH by Laurie K. Brown
EXPLAINING DEATH TO CHILDREN by Earl A. Grollman
STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT DEATH FOR TEENAGERS by Earl A. Grollman
LIFETIMES: THE BEAUTIFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN DEATH TO CHILDREN by Bryan Mellonie
THE EMPTY PLACE: A CHILD'S GUIDE THROUGH GRIEF by Roberta Temes Widowhood
THE WIDOW'S HANDBOOK: A GUIDE FOR LIVING by Charlotte Foenher and Carol Coyant
WIDOW TO WIDOW: THOUGHTFUL, PRACTICAL IDEAS FOR REBUILDING YOUR LIFE by Genevieve Ginsburg
Suicide/Sudden Death
HEALING AFTER THE SUICIDE OF A LOVED ONE by Ann Smolin
NO TIME TO SAY GOODBYE: SURVIVING THE SUICIDE OF A LOVED ONE by Carla Fine
LIVING WITH GRIEF AFTER SUDDEN LOSS by Kenneth J. Doka
Loss of a Child
RECOVERING FROM THE DEATH OF A CHILD by Katherine Donnelly
SUNRISE TOMORROW: COPINGWITH A CHILD'S DEATH by Elizabeth Brown
PARENTAL LOSS OF A CHILD by Theresa Rando
We hope this booklet has answered many of your questions and concerns about organ and tissue donation and the grief process. If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact LifeNet Health's Donor Family Advocate or your transplant coordinator.
Written by:
Cindy Duncan, MSN, RN, CS
Betty L. Martin, MSN, RN, CS