Myth: Wealthy or famous people get priority for organs.
Fact: A national computer system and strict federal, regional and local systems are in place to ensure ethical and equitable distribution of organs. Organs are allocated based on the recipient's blood type, body size, medical urgency, length of time on the waiting list and proximity to transplant center.
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Myth: “I heard about the guy who went to a party and woke up in a bathtub full of ice. One of his kidneys was stolen and placed for sale on the black market.”
Fact: There is no documented case of this ever happening. U.S. law prohibits the buying and selling of organs. This popular urban legend has been repeated many times in newspapers and over the Internet but is not true.
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Myth: People have been known to "wake up" from brain death.
Fact: Brain death is not a coma. It is a clinical and legal determination of death. Brain death occurs in patients who have suffered a severe, irreversible injury to the brain and brain stem. As a result of the injury, and despite all medical efforts, the brain swells and obstructs its own blood supply. Without blood flow, all brain tissue dies within a short period of time. Mechanical devices may maintain body functions, such as heartbeat and respiration, for a few hours or days but not permanently. A physician confirms brain death using a strict neurological exam.
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Myth: “I'm too old or too sick to be a donor.”
Fact: Organ and tissue donors typically are healthy people who have suffered a life-ending trauma and are declared dead. But virtually anyone—regardless of age, race, gender and even many health conditions—can become an organ and/or tissue donor. One donor can potentially save or enhance the lives of more than 25 people.
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Myth: “If I'm in an accident and the hospital knows I want to be a donor, the doctors won't try to save my life.”
Fact: Organ and tissue recovery takes place only after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared. The doctors trying to save your life are completely separate from the transplant surgeons involved in recovering organs and tissues, who are notified only after your death.
