Q: Who is considered to be my next-of-kin?
A: A spouse, adult child, parent, grandparent, adult sibling, guardian or other responsible person.

Q: Who can be a donor?
A: Anyone who meets the suitability criteria for any organs or tissues, providing that their family members give consent, can be a donor. Suitability criteria varies depending on the organ or tissue and their condition at the time of death.

Q: If someone has been declared "brain dead," is it possible to recover?
A: No. It is impossible to recover from brain death. Brain death should not be confused with coma or persistent vegetative state. Death can occur one of two ways:

1. When the heart and lungs stop functioning and
2. When the brain stops functioning. Brain death occurs when a person has irreversible, catastrophic brain injury, which causes brain activity to stop permanently. Heart and lung functions can only be maintained with the help of a mechanical ventilator.

Q: My family members do not believe in donation. How can I make sure that I will be a donor?
A: The best thing you can do is stress to your loved ones how important it is to you to donate, as well as register.

Q: Does the family incur any cost or receive any payment for donation?
A: The donor family is never billed for expenses related to the donation. Also, the donor family is not paid for any donations, as this would be a violation of federal and state laws.

Q: What about funeral arrangements?
A: The recovery agency can give an estimated time frame for donation. The body is carefully reconstructed so that donation does not prohibit an open casket funeral.

Q: Can an organ donor also be a tissue donor?
A: If a donor meets the criteria, organs and tissues can be taken at the same time. As many as 85 people can benefit from one tissue donor.

Q: What is an allograft?
A: Any human tissue that is transplanted from one person to another.

Q: Can diabetic people be an organ donor?
A: People with health problems may certainly donate if they are declared brain dead. Each organ will be closely evaluated to determine its viability.