Tissue Donation Is The Gift of Life and Hope

You and your loved one can leave a lasting legacy through tissue donation...

Bones and ligaments allow people to walk and move without pain. Corneas restore sight. Heart valves permit damaged valves to be replaced. Skin helps heal burn patients. Blood vessels improve circulation to the heart and prevent loss of limbs. One tissue donor can potentially benefit as many as 50 people. When you agree to become a donor, your generous gift could bring many people new life. Thanks to tissue donors, 600,000 lives have been enhanced since the establishment of American Red Cross Tissue Services in 1982. The need for tissue continues to grow, and tissue such as skin for burn patients and certain sizes of heart valves for cardiac patients is in high demand. The American Red Cross needs your help. Becoming a tissue donor is a simple, two-step process: first, sign a donor card or driver's license, and second, share your decision with your family, because next of kin is always asked for consent. There is no cost to you or your family. All costs related to tissue donation are paid for by the agency recovering the tissue. All major religions support tissue donation. Recipients will not know who donated the tissue they receive. Selection is not based on race, sex or ethnic origin, but rather on the medical need of the recipient. The identity of the donor is kept confidential. Tissue donation will not interfere with a traditional funeral. Tissues are removed by people specifically trained for tissue recovery. The donor's body is handled with respect and diginity by the Red Cross. Tissue donation does not prohibit an open-casket funeral.