Definition of Brain Death: the “irreversible coma with apnea [no respiration], loss of all brainstem reflexes and absence of activity on an electroencephalogram.”
The diagnosis is highly subjective (opinion-based).
According to the American Academy of Neurology Guidelines for Brain Death Determination
“Many of the details of the clinical neurologic examination to determine brain death cannot be established by evidence-based methods. The detailed brain death evaluation protocol that follows is intended as a useful tool for clinicians. It must be emphasized that this guidance is opinion-based. Alternative protocols may be equally informative.” (emphasis added)
Surprising Realities of Organ Donation and Brain Death
“When families are numb with grief and shock, the idea that their loved one may somehow live on through donation may offer comfort. Procurement teams are well aware of families’ vulnerability. They also are aware of families’ ignorance about brain death.” Read the full article here.
Revoking Organ Donation consent
If you have registered as an organ donor and have changed your mind, you can ask to be removed from the list. Our research shows that a phone call to your closest geographic location is the best option.
*Most states prefer phone contact.
Alabama
Alabama Organ Center
http://alabamaorgancenter.org/contact-us.php
Alaska
LifeCenter Northwest
Or call 907-562-LIFE (5433) or outside of Anchorage call 800-719-LIFE (5433).
http://www.lcnw.org/contact-us/
Arizona
Donor Network of Arizona
http://www.dnaz.org/about-us/contact/
Arkansas
Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency
http://www.arora.org/about_us/contact_us.aspx
Mid-America Transplant (Clay, Craighead, Greene, Independence, Lawrence Counties)
https://www.midamericatransplant.org/contact/
Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. (Crittenden, Cross, Lee, Mississippi, Phillips, St. Francis Counties)
http://midsouthtransplant.org/contact-2/
Southwest Transplant Alliance (Miller County)
California
Donor Network West (Northern California)
http://www.donornetworkwest.org/contact/
Sierra Donor Network (North Central California)
http://sierradonor.org/contact-us/
LifeSharing (Imperial, San Diego)
https://www.lifesharing.org/about-us/contact-us/
OneLegacy (Southern California)
http://www.onelegacy.org/about/contactus.html
Colorado
Donor Alliance, Inc.
http://www.donoralliance.org/contact-us/
Connecticut
Life Choice Donor Services
http://www.lifechoiceopo.org/contact.htm
New England Organ Bank (Southwestern Connecticut)
Delaware
Gift of Life Donor Program
http://www.donors1.org/contact-us/
District of Columbia
Washington Regional Transplant Community
http://www.beadonor.org/about-us/contact-us
Florida
LifeLink of Florida (West)
http://www.lifelinkfoundation.org/contact/
LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services (Northern Florida)
http://www.lifequestfla.org/Contact-Us
TransLife (Eastern Florida)
http://www.translife.org/contact_us/?node=contact_us
LifeAlliance Organ Recovery Agency (Southern Florida)
http://surgery.med.miami.edu/laora/contact
Georgia
LifeLink of Georgia
http://www.lifelinkfoundation.org/contact/
Tennessee Donor Services (Catoosa, Dade, and Walker Counties)
http://tds.dcids.org/contact-us/
Hawaii
Legacy of Life Hawaii
http://health.hawaii.gov/ohca/medicare-facilities/organ-procurement-organization/
Idaho
Intermountain Donor Services (Southern Idaho)
http://www.idslife.org/contact/
LifeCenter Northwest (Northern Idaho)
Pacific Northwest Transplant Bank (West Central Idaho)
http://pntb.org/who-we-are/contact-us
Illinois
Mid-America Transplant Services (Southern Illinois)
https://www.midamericatransplant.org/contact/
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network (Northern and Central Illinois)
http://register.giftofhope.org/contact-us/
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic (Winnebago County)
608-261-6854 or number in link below
http://www.uwhealth.org/organ-donation/contact-uw-organ-and-tissue-donation/40396
Indiana
Indiana Donor Network
http://indianadonornetwork.org/about-us/service-area/
Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott Counties)
http://www.kyorgandonor.org/contact-koda/
LifeCenter Organ Donor Network (Dearborn, Ohio Counties)
http://lifepassiton.org/contact/
Iowa
Iowa Donor Network
http://www.iowadonornetwork.org/contact
Nebraska Organ Recovery System (Pottawattamie County)
http://www.nedonation.org/about-us/contact-us
Kansas
Midwest Transplant Network
https://www.mwtn.org/contact-us/
Mid-America Transplant Services (St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Topeka)
https://www.midamericatransplant.org/contact/
Kentucky
Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates
http://www.kyorgandonor.org/contact-koda/
LifeCenter Organ Donor Network (Boone, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Pendleton Counties)
http://lifepassiton.org/contact/
Tennessee Donor Services External Web Site Policy (Christian County)
http://tds.dcids.org/contact-us/
Louisiana
Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency
Maine
New England Organ Bank
Maryland
Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland
http://www.thellf.org/z_archive/about/contact/index.html
Washington Regional Transplant Community (Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s Counties)
http://www.beadonor.org/about-us/contact-us
Massachusetts
New England Organ Bank
Life Choice Donor Services (Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire Counties)
http://www.lifechoiceopo.org/contact.htm
Center for Donation and Transplant (Berkshire County)
http://www.cdtny.org/who-we-are/contact/
Michigan
Gift of Life Michigan
http://www.giftoflifemichigan.org/contact-us
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic (Northwestern Michigan)
Or call 608-261-6854
http://www.uwhealth.org/organ-donation/contact-uw-organ-and-tissue-donation/40396
Minnesota
LifeSource, Upper Midwest Organ Procurement Organization, Inc.
https://www.life-source.org/contact/
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic External Web Site Policy (Houston County)
Or call 608-261-6854
http://www.uwhealth.org/organ-donation/contact-uw-organ-and-tissue-donation/40396
Mississippi
Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency
Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. (Northern Mississippi)
http://midsouthtransplant.org/contact-2/
Missouri
Mid-America Transplant Services (Eastern Missouri)
https://www.midamericatransplant.org/contact/
Midwest Transplant Network (Western Missouri)
https://www.mwtn.org/contact-us/
Montana
LifeCenter Northwest
http://www.lcnw.org/contact-us/
Nebraska
Nebraska Organ Recovery System
http://www.nedonation.org/about-us/contact-us
Iowa Donor Network (Dakota County)
http://www.iowadonornetwork.org/contact
Nevada
Nevada Donor Network, Inc.
http://nvdonor.org/contact-us2
Intermountain Donor Services (Elko County)
http://www.idslife.org/contact/
Donor Network West (Northern Nevada)
http://www.donornetworkwest.org/contact/
Sierra Donor Services
http://sierradonor.org/contact-us/
New Hampshire
New England Organ Bank
New Jersey
New Jersey Organ & Tissue Sharing Network (Northern and Central New Jersey)
https://www.njsharingnetwork.org/contact
Gift of Life Donor Program (Southern New Jersey)
http://www.donors1.org/contact-us/
New Mexico
New Mexico Donor Services
http://donatelifenm.org/contact-us/
New York
Center for Donation and Transplant (Eastern New York)
http://www.cdtny.org/who-we-are/contact/
Center for Organ Recovery & Education External Web Site Policy (Chemung County)
https://www.core.org/about-us/contact-us/
LiveOnNY (Southeastern New York)
http://www.liveonny.org/contact-us-0/
Upstate New York Transplant Services, Inc. (Western New York)
http://www.unyts.org/about-us/contact-us
Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network (Central New York)
http://www.donorrecovery.org/contact-us/
North Carolina
Carolina Donor Services (Eastern, Central North Carolina)
https://www.carolinadonorservices.org/contact
LifeShare Of The Carolinas (Southwestern and Western North Carolina)
http://www.lifesharecarolinas.org/about-us/
LifeNet Health (Currituck County)
https://www.lifenethealth.org/about/contact-us
North Dakota
LifeSource Upper Midwest OPO, Inc.
https://www.life-source.org/contact/
Ohio
LifeBanc (Northeastern Ohio)
https://www.lifebanc.org/contact-us.html
Life Connection of Ohio (Northwestern, West Central Ohio)
https://lifeconnectionofohio.org/contact-us/
Lifeline of Ohio Organ Procurement Agency (Central, Southeastern Ohio)
http://lifelineofohio.org/contact/
LifeCenter Organ Donor Network (Southwestern Ohio)
http://lifepassiton.org/contact/
Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (Lawrence County)
http://www.kyorgandonor.org/contact-koda/
Oklahoma
LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma
http://www.lifeshareoklahoma.org/organization-information.html
Oregon
Pacific Northwest Transplant Bank
Pennsylvania
The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (Western Pennsylvania)
https://www.core.org/about-us/contact-us/
Gift of Life Donor Program (Eastern Pennsylvania)
http://www.donors1.org/contact-us/
LiveOnNY (Pike County)
http://www.liveonny.org/contact-us-0/
Puerto Rico
LifeLink of Puerto Rico
http://www.lifelinkfoundation.org/contact/
Rhode Island
New England Organ Bank
South Carolina
We Are Sharing Hope SC
http://www.lifepoint-sc.org/aboutus_contactus.htm
LifeLink of Georgia (Aiken, Edgefield Counties)
http://www.lifelinkfoundation.org/contact/
LifeShare Of The Carolinas (York County)
http://www.lifesharecarolinas.org/about-us/
South Dakota
LifeSource, Upper Midwest Organ Procurement Organization, Inc.
https://www.life-source.org/contact/
Tennessee
Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. (Western Tennessee)
http://midsouthtransplant.org/contact-2/
Tennessee Donor Services (Central, Eastern Tennessee)
http://tds.dcids.org/contact-us/
Texas
LifeGift Organ Donation Center (Northern and Southeastern Texas)
http://www.lifegift.org/contact-us
Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (Southern Texas)
http://www.txorgansharing.org/contact.php
Southwest Transplant Alliance (Northeastern, Southeastern and West Texas)
Utah
Intermountain Donor Services
http://www.idslife.org/contact/
Vermont
Center for Donation and Transplant (Addison, Bennington, Crittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Rultand Counties)
http://www.cdtny.org/who-we-are/contact/
New England Organ Bank
Virgin Islands
LifeLink of Puerto Rico
http://www.lifelinkfoundation.org/contact/
Virginia
LifeNet
https://www.lifenethealth.org/about/contact-us
Washington Regional Transplant Community (Metropolitan, D.C. and Northern Virginia)
http://www.beadonor.org/about-us/contact-us
Carolina Donor Services (Pittsylvania, Danville City Counties)
https://www.carolinadonorservices.org/contact
Tennessee Donor Services (Bristol City, Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Norton City, Russell, Scott, Syth, Tazewell, Washington and Wise Counties)
http://tds.dcids.org/contact-us/
Washington
LifeCenter Northwest
http://www.lcnw.org/contact-us/
Pacific Northwest Transplant Bank (Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, Walla Walla Counties)
West Virginia
Center for Organ Recovery & Education
https://www.core.org/about-us/contact-us/
Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (Cabell, Wayne Counties)
http://www.kyorgandonor.org/contact-koda/
Lifeline of Ohio Organ Procurement Agency (Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, Wood Counties)
http://lifelineofohio.org/contact/
LifeNet Health (Berkeley, Morgan, Jefferson Counties)
https://www.lifenethealth.org/about/contact-us
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Donor Network – Blood Center of Wisconsin (Southeastern Wisconsin)
Online form preferred (2nd link)
Or call 608-261-6854
https://www.bcw.edu/bcw/bcw/contact-us/index.htm
https://health.wisconsin.gov/donorRegistry/public/donate.html
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic
Online form preferred (2nd link) (Same as above paragraph)
Or call 608-261-6854 (Same as above paragraph)
http://www.uwhealth.org/organ-donation/contact-uw-organ-and-tissue-donation/40396
https://health.wisconsin.gov/donorRegistry/public/donate.html
LifeSource Upper Midwest Organ Procurement Organization, Inc. (Douglas, Pierce and St. Croix Counties)
https://www.life-source.org/contact/
Wyoming
Intermountain Donor Services (Lincoln, Sweetwater, Uinita Counties)
http://www.idslife.org/contact/
Donor Alliance, Inc.
http://www.donoralliance.org/contact-us/