Every year, thousands of Americans die waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant because there just aren’t enough organ donors. What do you know about donating organs? The Organ Transplantation experts at New York–Presbyterian Hospital give some facts:

•  Very few medical conditions disqualify you from donating organs and tissues. It may turn out that while certain organs are not suitable for transplant, other organs and tissues are fine.

•  It is possible to donate to someone who is not a relative and to someone from another racial or ethnic group. But transplant success rates increase when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic background.

•  There are no costs directly related to donation.

•  Although it is important to join a donor registry and indicate that you are an organ donor on your driver’s license, it is equally important to make your family, friends, and doctors aware of your wishes.

•  The organ transplant waiting list is blind to wealth and celebrity status. People receive organs based on the severity of the illness, time spent on the waiting list, and blood type.

•  For more information, go to the United Network of Organ Sharing (www.unos.org).