Brain Death & Organ Donation

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)

http://organ.org/contact-us/

 

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)

http://neob.org/contact-us/

 

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)

http://www.lcnw.org/about/

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

https://www.lopa.org/contact

 

Maine

New England Organ Bank

http://neob.org/contact-us/

 

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

http://neob.org/contact-us/

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

http://www.msora.org/contact/

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

http://neob.org/contact-us/

 

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

http://pntb.org/contact-us

 

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

http://neob.org/contact-us/

 

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)

http://organ.org/contact-us/

 

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

http://neob.org/contact-us/

 

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)

http://pntb.org/contact-us

 

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/