Myths vs. Facts: Organ Donation

April is National Donate Life Month, and at the Northwest Kidney Council, it's the perfect time to clear the air. Despite decades of public awareness campaigns, myths about organ donation are still stopping people from registering as organ donors. And in the kidney community, where 727 people in Oregon and 1,302 people in Washington are waiting for a kidney transplant according to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), those myths carry real consequences.

Let’s talk about them.

"The doctors won't try as hard to save me if I'm a registered donor."

This is probably the most persistent myth out there, and it's simply not true. The medical team treating you in an emergency has one job: saving your life. Organ donation only becomes a consideration after every effort to save a patient has been made and death has been determined. The physicians managing your care are completely separate from any transplant team. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), these systems are deliberately kept independent.

"I'm too old to donate."

Age is not a disqualifier. People in their 60s and 70s have successfully donated organs and tissue that saved other lives according to HRSA. What matters is the condition of the organs at the time of death, which medical professionals assess individually. There is no age cutoff for registering to be an organ donor.

"My religion doesn't support organ donation."

Most major faith traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, support organ donation as a gift of life according to Donate Life America. That said, beliefs vary within every tradition. If you're uncertain, the best thing to do is speak with your religious leader directly. What we do know is that faith alone shouldn't be assumed to be a barrier without having that conversation.

"My health problems mean my organs wouldn't be usable."

Only a very small number of medical conditions automatically disqualify someone from donating according to Mayo Clinic. For most health conditions, it's a determination made by medical professionals at the time of death, not something anyone can predict in advance. Registering as an organ donor means giving medical professionals the option to assess, not a guarantee of any particular outcome.

"I heard the system is unfair — my organs won't go to the right person."

Organ allocation in the United States is managed by UNOS through a complex, computer-driven matching system. Factors like blood type, medical urgency, geographic proximity, and time on the waiting list all play a role. It is not first-come, first-served, and personal characteristics like wealth or fame are not factors.

The bottom line

According to UNOS, more than 49,000 organ transplants were performed in 2025 — a record. A single donor can save up to eight lives. Those numbers grow when more people register to be organ donors. If you've been on the fence because of something you've heard, we hope this helps. You can register as an organ donor at RegisterMe.org or when you renew your driver's license.

The gift is real. The myths don't have to be.