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Virtually anyone, regardless of age or previous illness, can be a potential donor.

One organ and tissue donor can potentially benefit 50 people.

Acceptable organ donors are those who are "brain dead" (whose brain function has ceased permanently) but whose heart and lungs continue to function with the use of ventilators. Brain dead is a legal definition of death.

Donation does not alter the appearance of the body, it will not change funeral arrangements, and open viewing is still possible.

All major religions approve of donation and consider it an act of charity.

No costs are incurred by the donor family for organ and tissue donation.

Patients who receive organs and tissues are chosen based on medical urgency and other medical criteria and not by financial or celebrity status. This is done through a national organ allocation system to ensure fair distribution of organs in the United States.

Advances in surgical technique and organ preservation and the development of more effective drugs to prevent rejection have improved the success rates of all types of organ and tissue transplants.