MYTHS AND FACTS

Myth: Organs are sold on the black market.

Fact: Organ transplantation requires the expertise of highly trained medical professionals, involves a long process of matching donors with recipients, and is impossible without support and advanced

Myth: If I am a registered donor, a doctor might declare death before it's appropriate.

Fact : 2 sets of confirmatory tests are performed independently by 4 different doctors, 6 hours apart in adults and 12 hours apart in case of a child to confirm officialbrain death.

Myth: If I am declared brain dead, I might still have some chances of coming back to life.

Fact: Brain death is the medical, legal and moral determination of death. Brain death is an irreversible condition that results from a severe brain injury or haemorrhage which causes all the brain activity to stop.

Myth: If doctors know that I have given my consent for organ or tissue donation, they won't work as hard to save my life.

Fact: The first priority of a medical professional is to save lives when sick or injured people come to the hospital. Doctors and nurses involved in a person's care before death are typically not involved in the recovery or transplantation of donated organs or tissues.

Myth: Organ donation is against my religion.

Fact: Most religions support organ and tissue donation as an act of charity and goodwill. In case of doubt, please discuss with your religious head.

Myth: I'm under the age of 18. I'm too young to make this decision.

Fact: No one is too young to do a good deed. You can express your wish to be a donor to your parents. Children, too, are in need of transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than that of adults.

Myth: My family will not be informed when my organs are transplanted.

Fact: The consent of those closest to the potential donor is sought before organs are donated. And hence, it is very important to discuss your wish to become a donor with your loved ones. Many families have expressed that it feels good to know their loss has given life to someone.

Myth: Organ and tissue donation will disfigure my body.

Fact: Donation, in no way, disfigures the body or change the way it looks. That means, the body can be viewed in anopen casket.