Documenting a personal wish to become a tissue, cornea and organ donor recently has become easier than ever before in Washington and Montana. Legislation passed last spring in both states created the Living Legacy Registry, enabling the public to make informed choices about organ and tissue donation, as well as to record individual decisions to donate.

Accessed online at livinglegacyregistry.org, the registry offers individuals the chance to read and agree to an informed consent. It also allows them to decide which tissues and organs they wish to donate, by providing detailed information about each type of organ and tissue transplant. In addition, individuals may decide on cornea donation.

The online service asks registrants to designate whether they wish to donate for the purposes of transplantation and/or research.

“The registry makes the decision-making process much more accessible, informed and complete. Family members do not have to wonder what their loved one would have wanted,” says Candy Wells, Northwest Tissue Services hospital services supervisor.

Driver’s licenses count, too
In addition to those who’ve signed up online, the registry also includes all who indicate the desire to donate on a driver’s license. Early this fall, donation agencies, including the Tissue Services, Northwest Lions Eye Bank, and LifeCenter Northwest, began receiving referrals from the registry.

The online registration process becomes complete when a signature card is filled out. Within two weeks of registering, individuals receive a signature card by mail, which they sign and return. Alternatively, registrants also can print out a signature card, sign and return it after they finish registering online.

In September, the Washington State Department of Motor Vehicles added some 2 million names to the registry; these individuals have indicated on their licenses that they want to be donors. The Montana Department of Motor Vehicles contributed 400,000 names.

Including family
Whether individuals register online or rely on their driver’s license designations, the Tissue Services strongly encourages those in favor of donation to discuss their decisions with family and friends. Family members are asked to provide information about a donor’s medical and social history. As loved ones cope with sudden loss, remembering a personal conversation can bring comfort.

“Even if an individual is registered online or on a driver’s license, it’s still very important for registrants to have a discussion with their families,” explains Wells. “Loved ones will have the consolation of knowing they’re participating in a process in which the donor believed.”