Saving lives is for the big at heart!
No matter your sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, everyone has the power to save lives as an organ donor. Being an organ donor is a small gesture with a big impact – your decision could save up to 8 lives! Live your best life today and join the donor registry to help others in the future!
A little heart makes a big difference!
Did you know that a new name is added to the transplant waiting list every 8 minutes? Today, there are more than 100,000 people in the U.S. waiting for a life-saving transplant. Join our mission to reduce the waiting list by registering as an organ donor today.
True or false?
Stay informed and get the facts about donation.
Absolutely!
A person’s sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression does NOT prevent that person from becoming an organ donor. Anyone who believes in the life-saving power of donation is encouraged to express their choice and register as a donor.
Becoming an organ donor is a rare opportunity and can only be considered after all life-saving options have been exhausted by the hospital team and the patient has died or suffered a life-ending injury and their family has decided to remove mechanical support.
Yes!
A person’s sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, race, income, celebrity and social status have no determination over whether they receive an organ transplant.
Recipients are determined by strict medical factors. A national system matches available organs from the donor with people on the waiting list based on blood type, body size, how sick they are, donor distance, tissue type and time on the list.
It’s important that the gender designation a person gives when registering matches that of the other, current legal documents that person has, like a driver’s license or passport. This is because the donor registration record is a legal document and is used for legal identification after a person has passed away and is being evaluated for donation.
If the gender listed on the donor registration and current legal documents do not match, the registration cannot legally be considered a match and will not provide consent for donation for a potential donor. For this reason, it is recommended that you register using your current legal gender designation – whether it is your birth gender or the result of a legal change in gender marker. You can update the gender designation on your donation registration record at any time should your legal gender marker change in the future.
Yes! It may be surprising to learn that there are very few medical rule-outs for donation. People who have had diabetes, hepatitis, cancer or who cannot donate blood may still be able to be organ donors. In some cases, those who are HIV+ can donate to others who are HIV+, thanks to the 2013 Hope Act.
For every donation opportunity, qualified physicians evaluate the health and suitability of organs at the time of death. There is no way to know when a person will pass away and create the possibility for donation. With advances in medicine happening all the time, we do not know what options may exist at the time of someone’s passing. This means that conditions that may rule out donation today may not in the future.
Join the national organ donor registry
Regardless of your age, health, religion, gender or race, everyone can share the gift of life. Use this secure form to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
We’re on a mission to reduce
the waiting list
LifeSource is a special, federally-designated, nonprofit medical organization required to manage the organ donation process. Our team of medical professionals has been saving lives and honoring the decisions of donors in the Upper Midwest for more than 35 years.
As one of only 55 organ procurement organizations, or OPOs, in the United States, we are responsible for:
- Managing all logistical and clinical aspects of the organ, eye and tissue donation process in the Upper Midwest
- Supporting donor families so they can make informed decisions during and after the donation process is complete
- Educating communities about the impact of donation
- Working towards removing barriers and correcting misleading information to ensure every Minnesotan knows who can be eligible to become a donor
We celebrate and support the rights of all people to share and receive the
gift of life!
Let’s change the statistics and help our vibrant communities thrive.