How it Works
The Georgia Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor registry is managed by LifeLink of Georgia, the federally designated non-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) that serves Georgia and two South Carolina counties.
The registry coordinates with the Georgia Department of Driver Services, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Eye Bank to document and carry out each individual’s decision to donate.
Facts
One organ, eye and tissue donor has the potential to save 75 lives.
Organs and tissue that can be donated include: heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, corneas, skin, tendons, bone, nerve and heart valves.
LifeLink assumes all expenses related to organ and tissue recovery. There is no cost to the family.
LifeLink of Georgia administers the secure Donate Life Georgia Organ, Tissue and Eye Donor database. Registered Georgia donors are provided with a username and password. Your information is never sold or shared.
Anyone can join the donor registry regardless of age or medical condition.
The first responsibility of medical professionals is to save lives. Donation is only considered after all life-saving options have failed.
All major religions support organ donation as an act of personal charity and/or love for neighbor.
Living donation increases the existing organ supply.
Donors are needed for all races and ethnic groups. Transplant success rates increase when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic background.
FAQs
- WHO CAN BE A DONOR?
Anyone can register their decision to save lives by joining the Donate Life Georgia Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor registry. If you are under 17 years of age, your parents will make the ultimate decision, but you can let them know your decision to be a donor and register at donatelifegeorgia.org.
- HOW DO I JOIN THE REGISTRY?
You can easily join the registry when obtaining or renewing a driver license at a Georgia Department of Driver Service office, when obtaining a hunting or fishing license online through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, online at www.DonateLifeGeorgia.org, and if you have an iPhone with iOS 10, you can register from your phone using the Health app.
- HOW CAN I REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE REGISTRY?
If you want to remove yourself from the registry, click LOGIN
- HOW DOES THE DONATION PROCESS WORK WITH THE REGISTRY?
All Georgia hospitals are required to contact LifeLink of Georgia when someone is near death or has died in the hospital. When LifeLink of Georgia has been contacted, the Donate Life Georgia Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor Registry is checked to see if the patient has registered to be an organ, tissue and/or eye donor. If the patient is registered, this information will be shared with the family, and they will be consulted about the patient’s medical/social history. If a patient is not registered, the options of donation are shared with the family and if authorization is received, a medical/social history is discussed.
LifeLink of Georgia then evaluates the medical suitability of the donor, manages the medical care of the donor until transplantation can take place, and consults the national database to match the donor and patients in need of a transplant based on medical criteria, such as blood and tissue type. Finally, LifeLink of Georgia coordinates transportation of the lifesaving gifts to surgeons who will perform the transplants.
- I WANT TO BE A LIVING DONOR, HOW?
Augusta University Medical Center: http://www.augustahealth.org
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta: https://www.choa.org/medical-services/transplant
Emory Healthcare: https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/centers-programs/transplant-center/index.html
Piedmont Healthcare: http://www.piedmont.org/transplant/transplant-home
Privacy and Security
The Donate Life Georgia Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor Registry, administrated by LifeLink of Georgia, provides the organ, tissue and eye recovery programs in Georgia with the authority to access the registry to determine if someone who has died was a registered organ, eye and tissue donor. The Donate Life Georgia Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor Registry does not sell, rent or otherwise share your name or personal information with any outside company or third party.
All information submitted to the Donate Life Georgia Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor Registry utilizes 256 bit encryption – a strong safeguard to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of data. Encryption scrambles data into an unreadable code. This data is only meaningful to those with a decipher key. Your privacy is very important to us, as is safeguarding all personal information. We secure information under physical, electronic and procedural controls that ensure the information is accessed only when authorized.
Additionally, The Donate Life Georgia Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor Registry uses Recaptcha or “I’m not a Robot”. The check box for “I am not a Robot” at the end of the registration process is an added security feature that helps ensure you are a real person and not an automated system attempting to send spam. When you see this, please click the box and follow the prompt.
