Patients are declared legally dead after multiple and extensive evaluations by an independent team of non-transplant physicians. Organ or tissue donation does not stop an open casket funeral from occurring, and families incur no additional cost for donation. The type and number of organs or tissues to be donated may be specified. A single donor's organs could save the lives of as many as eight individuals who would otherwise die from heart or kidney failure or liver, lung, pancreatic or intestinal diseases. One tissue donation could help 30-40 people.
Sight is restored to someone with a damaged or diseased cornea.
Heart valves are used on both adults and children. Skin is used for burn patients and the skin removed during a donation is only the thickness of a sun burn peel. Saphenous vein is used for heart by-pass surgery. Bone segments are used by orthopedic, neurosurgery, and plastic surgeons. Soft tissue is used to repair tendon and ligament damage.