REALITY: Quality of medical care is not a factor. Medical professionals are just that -- professional. They take the Hippocratic Oath, vowing to do no harm and preserving life whenever and wherever possible.

CONCERN: There are many people declared dead who are misdiagnosed and wake up.

REALITY: Organ donors are given extra medical tests to determine their status before any procedures are done. These tests are thorough and are performed at no cost to the donor’s family.

CONCERN: Organ donation is forbidden by most religions.

REALITY:  Roman Catholicism, Islam, most Protestant faiths and most branches of Judaism allow organ donations. A cleric can explain and reassure you if you object for religious reasons.

CONCERN: My age will preclude me from being an organ donor.

REALITY: This is true if you are younger than 18. But minors can expressly convey their wishes to their parents, who consent to act in their children's stead. Children can be organ donors as well as adults, and there is a critical need for younger donors because adult organs can be too large. As far as the elderly, age is no barrier to becoming an organ donor. The key is health. Many organ donors are in their 60s or 70s.

CONCERN: An open-casket funeral will no longer be an option for an organ donor.