 Frequently
Asked Questions
Q. Can I still donate my organs to a member of my family if I join
LifeSharers?
A. Yes. The LifeSharers membership agreement specifically states that you
retain your right to donate your organs to a member of your family.
Q. If I join LifeSharers, do my family members get preferred access to the
organs of other LifeSharers members?
A. No. Your family members must join LifeSharers to get preferred access
to the organs of other members.
Q. Can children join LifeSharers?
A. Adult members can enroll their minor children by logging into the Member
Services page and following instructions there.
Q. I have already registered as an organ donor, checked the organ donor box
on my drivers license, or signed an organ donor card. Why should I join
LifeSharers?
A. You have indicated that you want to donate your organs when you die. By
joining LifeSharers you take an additional step -- you indicate that you want to
donate your organs to other registered organ donors. You also increase
your chances of getting a transplant if you ever need one, because you'll get
first access to the organs of other LifeSharers members.
Q. Is anyone barred from joining LifeSharers due to any pre-existing medical
condition?
A. No.
Q. Why are people who don't have organs that are suitable for transplantation
allowed to join LifeSharers?
A. No one knows today whose organs will be transplantable in the future.
Surgeons are now routinely transplanting lots of organs they would have rejected
just a few years ago. As the organ shortage continues to grow, many organs
that would be rejected today will likely be accepted in the future. So
anyone who is willing to donate their organs when they die is welcome to join
LifeSharers.
Q. Is there an age limit for organ donation?
A. No. Organs have been transplanted from people in their 90's. No
one is too old to offer to donate their organs.
Q. Does joining LifeSharers commit me to donating tissue or to donating my
body?
A. No.
Q. Will joining LifeSharers prevent me from getting an organ from a
non-member?
A. No.
Q. Why should LifeSharers members get first access to the organs of fellow
members?
A. As long as there is a shortage of organs, it's not fair to give organs to
non-donors when there are donors who need them. But people who have agreed
to donate their organs when they die get only about 50% of the organs
transplanted in the United States. The rest go to people who haven't
agreed to donate. LifeSharers helps make sure that organ donors are
treated fairly. More importantly, LifeSharers encourages more people to become donors. More
donors means fewer people will die waiting for organs.
Q. Is it fair to move people up the waiting list just because they've agreed
to be donors?
A: Yes. In fact, live donors are already moved up the waiting list.
So are their relatives in some cases. LifeSharers just does the same thing
for people who agree now to donate when they die. When evaluating
fairness, it's also important to consider the wishes of donors. If you
agree to donate your organs when you die, and if you want them to be offered
first to others who have agreed to do the same for you, it's not fair (and it's
not legal) to
disregard your wishes and give your organs to someone else.
Q. Shouldn't organs go first to the people who need them most and have been
waiting longest?
A. Organs should go first to the people who have agreed to donate
their own organs when they die. This increases the number of organ donors,
and that saves lives. As LifeSharers increases the supply of organs
everyone benefits, even non-members. Besides, it's a myth that organs are
now given first to the people who need them most or have been waiting longest.
Some of the people who need organs most can't even get on the waiting list
because they can't afford to pay for a transplant. Many who have been on
the waiting list a long time are removed from the list because they're
considered too sick to get a transplant.
Q. Shouldn't organs be allocated based on medical considerations, not
personal characteristics?
A. Non-medical considerations and personal characteristics already play a
role in the organ allocation system. Examples include age, location, time spent on the
waiting list, and ability to pay. By also using donor status in allocating
organs, LifeSharers increases the number of donors and saves lives. LifeSharers
respects the medical considerations that are used to allocate organs. We
ask only that those considerations be applied first to organ donors. This
is already being done for live organ donors. LifeSharers helps make sure
it's also done for people who promise to donate when they die.
Q. Don't LifeSharers members accept organs from everyone but preferentially
restrict their donation to fellow members?
A: LifeSharers members will give their organs to anyone, and
they'll give them first to anyone who is willing to do the same for them.
Non-members can have members' organs if no fellow member who needs them is a
suitable match. The last thing we want is for our organs to go to waste.
By increasing the supply of organs LifeSharers benefits everyone, even
non-members. The administrators of the national organ allocation system defend the right
to get an organ without agreeing to give one. They should defend the
rights of LifeSharers members even more vigorously because LifeSharers members
have all agreed to donate their organs.
Q. Doesn't LifeSharers create a class of people that gets special
consideration in organ allocation?
A. Yes, that is exactly what LifeSharers does. It's a class that everyone in the United States
can join, and there is no cost to join. We welcome everyone, and
we turn no one away. Organ donors deserve special consideration in organ
allocation because without organ donors there would be no organs to allocate. The special consideration LifeSharers members get is given voluntarily
(and legally) by
other members, and it is given in exchange for a reciprocal promise.
Anyone who wants to share in this special consideration is welcome to do so.
Membership is free here.
Q. Isn't LifeSharers like agreeing to give organs to a class of people, such
as a particular gender, religion, or ethic group?
A. No, LifeSharers is not like that at all. LifeSharers does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age,
physical handicap, health status, marital status, or economic status. Giving organs first to white people doesn't create more white people.
Giving organs first to women doesn't create more women. Giving organs
first to Italians doesn't create more Italians. But giving organs first
to organ donors creates more organ donors, and that saves lives.
Q. Some people can't donate their organs, so doesn't LifeSharers
discriminate against them?
A. No. Everyone who is willing to donate is welcome to join LifeSharers,
whether or not they think doctors will want to use their organs.
Q. Is there a waiting period before a LifeSharers member can get first access to the organs of other LifeSharers members?
A. Yes. LifeSharers members do not qualify for first access to organs
from other LifeSharers members until they have been a member for 180 days.
This waiting period encourages people to join while they're still healthy.
It discourages people from waiting to join only when they find out they need an
organ.
Q. How does LifeSharers match organs and recipients?
A. LifeSharers does not match organs and recipients. This process is
managed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which operates the
Organ
Procurement and Transplantation Network in the United States. LifeSharers
does not interfere with this process. Our members just direct that each of
their organs goes to the highest ranking qualified LifeSharers member on the UNOS
waiting list. Family members of deceased LifeSharers members can get names of
other LifeSharers members on the UNOS waiting list by
telephoning LifeSharers at 1-888-ORGAN88 or 1-888-674-2688. For more details, click here.
Q. If I am a LifeSharers member and I die, how does LifeSharers make sure
that LifeSharers members get first access to my organs?
A. We rely on your family to make sure that transplant personnel honor your
intention to direct your donation first to LifeSharers members. You should
tell your next of kin and your doctors about your LifeSharers membership.
You should also carry your LifeSharers donor card, and mention your LifeSharers
membership in your durable power of attorney for health care or medical power of
attorney. Both of these documents instruct your family to telephone
LifeSharers for names of members who need your organs and to tell transplant
personnel that you want to donate to those individuals. These documents state your intention clearly: "It is my express wish that
my organs be donated first to members of the LifeSharers
network, unless no LifeSharers member is a suitable match. For each part
of my body donated, I designate as donee that LifeSharers member who is the most
suitable match as defined by the criteria in use by LifeSharers at the time of my
death." This means each organ from a LifeSharers member should be
offered first to the highest ranking qualified LifeSharers member on the UNOS
waiting list. For more details on how this works, click
here.
Q. Will transplant personnel honor the wishes of LifeSharers members to
donate their organs first to other members?
A. Overriding the legal directions of an organ donor could create
significant legal liability and lots of unfavorable publicity. Transplant
personnel are careful to avoid both. The entire transplant system relies
on the good will of organ donors, so transplant personnel have every reason to
honor the legitimate wishes of organ donors and no reason not to. If
transplant personnel try to talk your family members out of directing your
donation to other LifeSharers members, then your family should insist that your
wishes be carried out. Your family should also call LifeSharers for
assistance at 1-888-ORGAN88 or 1-888-674-2688.
Q. Does LifeSharers maintain a waiting list of members needing organs?
A. UNOS maintains the national waiting list. We maintain a list of
LifeSharers members who are on the UNOS national waiting list. If you are on
the UNOS waiting list for an organ, let us know by sending an email to
info@lifesharers.org. You should also tell your doctors that you are a
LifeSharers member, and ask them to make sure their records include this
information.
Q. What is UNOS’ position on LifeSharers?
A. UNOS says “Our formal position is that UNOS does not endorse LifeSharers'
approach. However, UNOS does not intervene in directed donation if it is
allowed by state law.”
Q. Is directed donation allowed by state law?
A. Yes. The laws of all 50 states and the District of Columbia allow directed donation.
Most of these laws permit donation to "a designated individual" for
transplantation. LifeSharers members designate the individual they
want to receive each of their organs, through language that is included in the
LifeSharers membership agreement and shown on the LifeSharers donor card.
In the handful of states where donation to "a designated individual" is not
permitted, LifeSharers members give their organs to their fellow members'
surgeon or hospital, which is permitted. According to UNOS, "Directed donation is allowed by state law (although some
restrictions may apply in certain states) and is a legal alternative to
OPTN/UNOS allocation policy. As such, directed donation requests are honored as
long as the recipient is available and medically suitable to receive the
donation."
Q. Is directed donation allowed by federal law?
A. Yes. The 1999 "Final Rule" (42 CFR Part 121) governs operation of the
national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Section 121.8
deals with organ allocation. It includes the following language about
directed donation: "Nothing in this section shall prohibit the allocation of an
organ to a recipient named by those authorized to make the donation."
Q. What is UNOS' position on giving organ donors preferred
access to donated organs?
A. The UNOS Ethics Committee issued a white paper on this subject in 1993.
The white paper is available
here.
 Q. How many LifeSharers members are there?
A. There are 11,645 members in the LifeSharers network.
Q. How many LifeSharers members are on the national waiting list?
A.
There are 20 LifeSharers members on the national waiting list. Of these, 9 have qualified for preferred access to the organs of other LifeSharers members.
Q. How many LifeSharers members
have died and donated organs?
A. We have not yet had a member die in circumstances that would have permitted
recovery of his or her organs. Q. Can I cancel my LifeSharers membership?
A. Yes. You can cancel your membership at any time via the LifeSharers web
site or by sending an email to
info@lifesharers.org. Q. Is LifeSharers accessible to people without
internet access?
A. Yes. Anyone can join LifeSharers by filling out an enrollment form and
mailing it to us. Call or write us here for
enrollment forms, or download them here.
Q. Is LifeSharers accessible to people who don't speak English?
A. Yes. On our web site we provide the capability to translate
information about LifeSharers into other languages. Click
here for more information. Our printed
brochures are available in English and Spanish. Click
here for more information.
Q. Does LifeSharers provide financial assistance to transplant recipients?
A. No, but several other organizations do. Click
here for a list. Q. How is LifeSharers funded?
A. We rely on charitable contributions from members (and others) to fund our
operations. LifeSharers is a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization,
so contributions to LifeSharers are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the
law. Click here to learn more about how to
support our efforts. LifeSharers also occasionally applies for grants from
charitable foundations. If you know of an appropriate potential grant
source, please email us at
info@lifesharers.org. Q. How can I change the email address
where I receive the monthly LifeSharers newsletter?
A. You can do that here. Or you can email us at
info@lifesharers.org.
Read what experts say
about giving organs first to organ donors.
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