Description

What is a living will?

A living will allows you to dictate how you will be cared for in the event you become incapacitated and are unable to make decisions about your health and medical care. Also called an advance directive, a living will allows you to state your desires for end-of-life care.

Why do I need one?

A living will lets those closest to you know your wants and preferences on matters such as resuscitation, feeding tubes and other life support measures.

How does organ donation fit in?

One donor can save 8 lives, restore sight to 2 people and heal up to 75 more through tissue donation. Most living wills recommend indicating your wishes to be a donor. The MedStar living will app offers the opportunity to register your donation decision in the National Donate Life Registry. Registering your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor is a legal document of gift indicating that, upon your death and if eligible, you have made the decision to be a donor. Registering now relieves your family of this decision burden and serves as a real gift to them, as well as to the grateful recipients of your donation. For more information about organ, eye and tissue donation, visit DonateLife.net.

What is the difference between registering as an organ donor and living donation?

By registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor through this living will app, you are indicating that, upon your death and if eligible, you have made the decision to be a donor. A deceased organ donor can donate organs (liver, kidney, heart, lung, intestines and pancreas), corneas and tissue. With living donation, you are able to provide the gift of life while you are still alive. You can donate a portion of your liver (the liver regenerates and grows back) or one of your kidneys (you have two & can live a healthy life with just one). Living donation decisions are not part of your organ, eye and tissue donation registration. For more information on living donation, visit www.MedStarGeorgetown.org/LivingDonor

The Donate Life America/MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute Partnership
As two leading organizations addressing the issue of a shortage of viable organs, it was only natural for us to partner to offer a donor registration opportunity in this living will registry app. Your donor registration will be in the National Donate Life Registry, RegisterMe.org.

Donate Life America is the 501(c)3 not-for-profit alliance of national organizations and Donate Life State Teams across the United States committed to maximizing the number of organs, eyes and tissue available to save and heal lives through transplantation while developing a culture where donation is embraced as a fundamental human responsibility.

The MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute (MGTI) is among the nation’s top transplant programs in the country, having performed well over 1,400 liver transplants and 5,000+ kidney transplants. Our volume ranks us in the top ten percent of transplant programs in the country and the second largest pediatric liver transplant program. Based on data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), MGTI ranks among the highest quality programs in the nation.

Create your living will and register to be a donor today!