Talking to Your Loved Ones about Donation

Helpful Resources to Start the Conversation

Becoming an organ and tissue donor is a powerful decision that can have a lasting impact on those who receive transplants, as well as the donor’s family and friends.

Whether you’re interested in donation or still on the fence about whether it’s right for you, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your loved ones about it.

If you’ve decided to register as a donor, telling your loved ones about your decision is an essential part of the registration process. This helps eliminate any surprises when donation becomes a reality and gives purpose to your decision.

When to have the Conversation

There’s no right or wrong time to talk about organ and tissue donation. The important thing is that you do it. But here are some suggestions for times that might be ideal for having a casual conversation with your loved ones about donation:

• After you register as a donor or renew your driver’s license
• On a walk
• During a family dinner
• On a road trip or long drive in the car

Conversation Starters

The hardest part about talking about donation might just be how to bring it up. But it doesn’t have to be. The ideas below are a great way to open the door to your conversation, then be sure you talk about:

• Why donation matters to you, i.e. “I want to help others when I’m gone.”
• If you’ve registered to be a donor, i.e. “I’ve already registered to be a donor, so you don’t have to think about that when the time comes.”

Movies

• Return to Me: Recommended for couples and girlfriends, Return to Me is a heartwarming romance featuring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver.
• Ordinary Angels: Recommended for families, this movie is based on the dramatic, real-life events that take place to get a little girl to Omaha for a liver transplant.

Podcasts

• The Moth Radio Hour: Living on the Edge: Paul Munafo shares the experience of being desperately ill while waiting for a liver transplant—and the moment he receives the call in the middle of the night that changes everything.
• Radiolab: Gray’s Donation: This episode recounts the story of parents who donate their infant son’s organs and later seek to understand where those gifts went.

Short Videos

• The Man and the Dog: A touching video about a dog’s connection to its owner’s heart.
• Colemean Sweeney: World’s Biggest Asshole: As the name suggests, this video is intended for adults and contains mature content. It tells the story of a fictional character, Coleman Sweeney, a guy nobody likes, who ends up with his own redeeming quality.

Superheroes

Whether their superpower is super strength, x-ray vision, or the ability to summon lightning, superheroes are a great way to talk about helping others, especially with kids.

Donation Facts

If getting straight to the point works well for you, here are some facts that can help reinforce your donation decision:

• One donor can save eight lives through organ donation and potentially heal 100 or more people through tissue donation.
• Donation only becomes a possibility after everything is done to save your life. The doctors involved in lifesaving care do not decide if you become a donor.
• There are no age registrictions for donation. In fact, the oldest organ donor in the U.S. was 100 years old.
• People with health conditions are still often able to be organ and tissue donors.
• There is no cost to the donor’s family for organ and tissue donation.
• All major religions support donation or the individiual’s decision to be a donor.
• Traditional funeral services are possible following donation.