When you or a loved one passes away, a final decision can make a significant difference in countless lives. When you become an organ and tissue donor or a whole body donor, you make a profound gift that can save lives, improve the quality of life for others, and advance medical science.

The Critical Need for Organ and Tissue Donors

The numbers tell the story. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there are about 103,000 Americans on the waiting list for transplants at any given time. About 17 people on the list die every day when the organs they need are not available.

A single person can help save up to eight lives by donating their heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and intestines. Tissue donors can improve the lives of up to 75 people by gifting corneas, skin, heart valves, and bones. Corneas can restore vision. Skin grafts can help burn victims. Heart values are used to repair congenital defects in young children. These are just a few of the ways tissue donations are utilized.

Despite the fact that millions of people in the U.S. have registered to become organ donors, there remains a critical—and unmet—need for organ and tissue donors who match those on the waiting list.

Whole Body Donation

Less is known about the process of becoming a whole body donor, but the need is just as great.

Whole body donation serves as the foundation of medical education. Medical students learn the intricacies of human anatomy through examining human cadavers. Surgeons perfect new, life-saving techniques before performing them on living patients. Researchers develop improved treatments for conditions.

The ripple effect of a single body donation can influence thousands of future patients through the physicians trained and discoveries made. Every medical professional who has ever treated you has likely refined their skills through the study of donated bodies.

Pros and Cons of Organ Donation and Whole Body Donation

You should be aware there are some pros and cons of organ donation or becoming a whole body donor.

On the plus side, organ donation can save someone’s life with a transplant. Whole body donations can contribute to medical research that helps future generations. Many families also take comfort in knowing that the passing of a loved one is helping others, which can help them find meaning during grief.

You may also get relief from some of the financial burden associated with the end of life. For example, when you become a body donor through United Tissue Network, UTN pays for all of the costs for transportation, placement of the deceased with a reputable medical research or educational facility, and cremation after research has been completed.

However, there are some concerns you should consider. The donation process can extend the time it takes before you can proceed with funeral arrangements, which can add to a stressful time.

The research phase of body donation, for example, can last for weeks, months, or even years. However, you can still hold a memorial service at the time of death. You likely will not be able to have an open casket or viewing ceremony.

There may also be some religious or cultural concerns. Although most major religions now support organ, tissue, and whole body donation, not every faith does.

Creating a Lasting Legacy

Few decisions in life offer the opportunity to make such a far-reaching impact. Whether through the immediate life-saving potential of organ donation, the healing power of tissue donation, or the educational and research benefits of whole body donation, these gifts represent humanity at its most generous.

Your decision to become a donor is a final act that reflects the best of us.

To become an organ or tissue donor, you can register at your Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles or sign up at the National Donate Life Registry online.

To register to become a whole body donor, sign up at United Tissue Network. UTN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). All donations are made following the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. Donors are treated with respect, dignity, and privacy.

If you would like to learn more about whole body donation in Rhode Island, contact United Tissue Network at (877) 783-6111.