FAQ's
Q: If I am a registered organ donor, will health care providers still make every effort to save my life?
A: Yes. First and foremost the duty of health care providers is to save lives. Donation is only considered after all life-saving efforts have been exhausted and it is certain a patient will not survive. Your donor registration record is confidential, and only accessible by the donation team at BC Transplant. In addition, BC's Human Tissue Gift Act states that the death of a potential organ donor must be declared by two doctors, independent of transplant.
Q: So in future will organ donation always happen if you haven’t opted out?
A: No. Families will have the final say, which is also the case at the moment. In other words, they can overrule their relative’s wishes, whatever they were. This is known as a “soft opt-out” system.
Q: Is there an age limit for organ donation?
A: There is no age limit for organ donation, but it usually involves a young and previously healthy person who has been in a road accident. The person has to have suffered catastrophic and irreversible brain damage that leaves them brain dead, but their heart is still beating and they are on a ventilator. This means their organs are still being supplied with oxygen and so they are in good enough condition to be used for transplant.
Q: Will children automatically be organ donors?
A: If we follow the laws Nova Scotia passed then people under 19 and people without decision-making capacity will be exempt, and will only be considered donors if a parent, guardian or substitute decision-maker opts them in.
Q: Can a donor still have an open casket funeral?
A: Yes. At all times throughout the donation process, the donor is treated with the utmost respect. After the surgical recovery of the organs, the donor's body is released to the funeral home for preparation according to the wishes of the donor or family.
Q: What organs and tissues can be donated?
A: You can donate your heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, small bowel, stomach, corneas, heart valves, pericardium, bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and skin.
A: Yes. First and foremost the duty of health care providers is to save lives. Donation is only considered after all life-saving efforts have been exhausted and it is certain a patient will not survive. Your donor registration record is confidential, and only accessible by the donation team at BC Transplant. In addition, BC's Human Tissue Gift Act states that the death of a potential organ donor must be declared by two doctors, independent of transplant.
Q: So in future will organ donation always happen if you haven’t opted out?
A: No. Families will have the final say, which is also the case at the moment. In other words, they can overrule their relative’s wishes, whatever they were. This is known as a “soft opt-out” system.
Q: Is there an age limit for organ donation?
A: There is no age limit for organ donation, but it usually involves a young and previously healthy person who has been in a road accident. The person has to have suffered catastrophic and irreversible brain damage that leaves them brain dead, but their heart is still beating and they are on a ventilator. This means their organs are still being supplied with oxygen and so they are in good enough condition to be used for transplant.
Q: Will children automatically be organ donors?
A: If we follow the laws Nova Scotia passed then people under 19 and people without decision-making capacity will be exempt, and will only be considered donors if a parent, guardian or substitute decision-maker opts them in.
Q: Can a donor still have an open casket funeral?
A: Yes. At all times throughout the donation process, the donor is treated with the utmost respect. After the surgical recovery of the organs, the donor's body is released to the funeral home for preparation according to the wishes of the donor or family.
Q: What organs and tissues can be donated?
A: You can donate your heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, small bowel, stomach, corneas, heart valves, pericardium, bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and skin.