[princessbelle]

Good points. Get your wishes in paper out there. Copies to your doc, family etc.

Here's the thing to remember...

Say you are in a car wreck and it is decided that you are legally dead, breathing or not. In the hospital, it is Law in the state of Tennessee and i'm assuming it is close to the same all over the country, for the RN or Doc to notify the Donor Registry and tell them of the death or impending death. It is then by phone that the Donor Registry will contact the family and ask over the phone what they want to do. They don't know histories or who is suppose to be the one making the decision. All of that should be done way ahead of the need so everyone knows who to go to for the answer. Again, this is initiated over the phone. Make sure EVERYONE knows your wishes that may even be somewhat involved.

So, unless it is a long drawn out death, so to speak, where there is plenty of time to contact this one and that one and fight who has the legal rights, get all the paper work in order, etc, all of the decision comes down to who is next of kin to make the sometimes very fast decision.

Make sure everyone will know who is in charge in that situation because it is rare there is time to get through the legal mumbo jumbo.