However, you can donate important tissues such as eyes, heart valves, veins, bones and skin. Organ donors typically die from a head injury or something that affects the brain. Only two or three per cent of all deaths are brain deaths. All organs and tissues being considered for transplant must undergo rigorous testing. This includes tests to insure that the organs are healthy and suitable for donation and to screen for HIV, AIDS and other illnesses.
Most major religions consider organ donation to be a gift of life to another person.
If you have any question, you should consult your religious advisor. In almost every case, families feel organ donation helped ease their grief. Nothing can replace the loss of a loved one, but very often organ donation allows family members to feel that something positive has resulted from a tragedy. The organ retrieval process is carried out like any normal surgical procedure and the body is treated with the utmost respect and dignity. The surgical procedure does not change the appearance of the donor's body.