Donor Registry

Visit Ohio Donor Registry

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The Ohio Donor Registry
More than 2,700 Ohioans who need a life saving organ transplant are registered on the national waiting list. The Ohio Donor Registry is one way the state of Ohio is addressing the shortage of organ donors. In December 2000, Governor Bob Taft signed Senate Bill 188, the Organ Donor Bill, which created the registry.

• Joining the Ohio Donor Registry ensures that your decision to be an organ donor is known and honored.
• More than 97,000 people who need an organ transplant are listed on the national waiting list. Of that number, more than 250 are from northwest and west central Ohio. A new name is added to the waiting list every 13 minutes.
• Every day, 18 people die waiting for a donated organ.
• One donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of up to 50 people. Transplantable organs include: heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestines. Tissues that can be donated are: bone, cartilage, heart valves, veins, skin, fascia, soft tissue and corneas.

Join the Ohio Donor Registry now at http://www.donatelifeohio.org.

Q & A about the Ohio Donor Registry

What is the Ohio Donor Registry?
The Ohio Donor Registry is a secure database that ensures your decision to be an organ and tissue donor will be honored. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles maintains the registry through funding provided by the Second Chance Trust Fund of the Ohio Department of Health.

What is the purpose of joining the Ohio Donor Registry?
By joining the Ohio Donor Registry, residents are legally giving consent for the anatomical gift of organs, tissues and eyes upon death, for any purposes authorized by law. The Ohio Donor Registry provides organ, tissue and eye recovery agencies, including Life Connection of Ohio, access to an individual's donation authorization. This information allows recovery agencies to act on that authorization as an advance directive.

How can I join the registry?
Register your decision in the Ohio Donor Registry:

• by saying “yes” when you visit the BMV to receive or renew your driver’s license or state identification card
• by filling out and mailing in a Donor Registration Enrollment Form
• by registering online at www.donatelifeohio.org

How will Life Connection of Ohio use the donor registry?
The information in the Ohio Donor Registry database is strictly confidential. Access to the registry is limited to licensed and certified organ, tissue and eye recovery agencies. It will only be used at the time of death to obtain your wishes regarding organ and tissue donation. Life Connection will use the registry to communicate your decision to be an organ and tissue donor with your family.

Can I change my mind after registering?
You can change your mind about donation or refine your donation consent at any time using the same method originally used to enroll in the registry.

Should I still tell my family about my decision to be an organ donor?
Upon death, Life Connection of Ohio professionals will work with your family to honor your decision to be an organ and tissue donor. Family members will be consulted as part of the process, which determines suitability for transplantation. Many donor families have reported that, for them, donation has given some meaning to their loss.