White Mountain Regional Medical Center

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Organ Donation

White Mountain Regional Medical Center works in close conjunction, with Donor Network of Arizona as prescribed by law. Although organ donation happens under the most difficult of circumstances, a single donor can save the lives of several people.

Organ and tissue transplants offer patients a new chance at healthy, productive, normal lives and return them to their families, friends and communities. You have the power to change someone's world by being a donor. It's about living. It's about Life.

How to be a Donor

The decision to be an organ and tissue donor is one that provides the greatest gift of all…. Life. And now, being a donor is as simple as signing up on the Arizona Donor Registry. This registry will provide complete information for you to make an informed and legal decision to be a donor. Sign up now at www.AZDonorRegistry.org.

If for any reason you do not want to sign up on the Arizona Donor Registry, you can still be a donor by signing a donor card and making your family and/or medical decision maker aware of your wishes. If you are not on the donor registry, your family or medical decision maker will be asked about your wishes at the time of your death.

FAQs

Question: What can be donated?
Answer: Organs including heart, lungs, liver, kidney, pancreas and small intestine. And, tissues including skin, bones, veins, heart valves, tendons and ligaments.

Question: Can I be too old to donate?
Answer: A critical need for organs currently exists in the United States; the criteria for donation are changing constantly. Today, anyone can be considered for organ and/or tissue donation, regardless of age or illness. No one should exclude him/herself from the possibility of donating on the basis of age or medical history.

Question: If I can't see well, can I still donate my eyes?
Answer: Almost anyone can be an eye donor. Cataracts, poor eyesight or age would not prohibit you from being a donor.

Question: Can I donate anything if I have cancer?
Answer: Depending on the type of cancer and whether you are currently in remission you may be able to donate organs. If the cancer is not blood-borne or has not progressed to the eye, corneal donation is an option.

Question: Will someone look different following the donation?
Answer:Great care is taken to preserve the appearance of the donor. Because recovery of organs and tissues is a surgical procedure, incisions are made for the specific recovery. This does not prohibit an open-casket funeral.

Question: Is there a cost to the family for donation?
Answer: There is no cost to the donor's estate or insurance company for anything related to donation.

Question: Do the recipients and donor families meet?
Answer: It is important for both parties that confidentiality is maintained. Initial correspondence is coordinated through the transplant center and Donor Network of Arizona, which will forward the letters to the donor families or recipients. In the event that both parties wish to meet each other, Donor Network of Arizona will facilitate this.

Question: What about funeral arrangements?
Answer: Donation does not affect customary funeral arrangements.

Question: Can organs and tissues be sold?
Answer: No, it is illegal to buy or sell organs. Severe penalties are imposed for violators.

Question: Can organs be given to different racial and ethnic groups?
Answer: In most cases, yes. Organ size is critical to match donor and recipient hearts, livers and lungs. Genetic makeup between kidney and pancreas donors and recipients is more critical; due to genetic makeup. For this reason, Hispanics may "match" better with a kidney donated from another Hispanic than from any other race.