Organ Donation in Arkansas

Organ Donation in Arkansas

Organ donation in Arkansas is administered by Regional Organ Recovery Agency.

Every 8 minutes, another person is added to the list of people who need organs. Annually, more than 25,000 kidney transplants are performed in the US. In 2012 alone, over 28,000 organ transplants were performed.

If you sign up as an organ donor today, you could give someone a second chance at life when you pass in the future.

Organ Donation Agency

Organ donation is organized by the Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (ARORA) . The group works hard to match available organs with people in need.

You may not want to think about donating your organs, but it is important for all of us to consider the decision now while we still can make a difference.

Donation Information

You can read about what organs and tissues can be transplanted as well as who can be an organ or tissue donor on the ARORA website. Questions about how organs and tissues are recovered are also answered.

Becoming a Donor

It is easy to become a donor in Arkansas. You can register online, by phone, or in person at your local AR DMV office.

There is never a fee to register as an organ donor, nor does your family pay if your organs are donated. Any costs associated with organ transplants are handled by the organ procurement organization.

Online

You can register as a donor online in two ways:

  • At the Regional Organ Recovery Agency website.
    • You will need to provide your driver's license or state ID card number.
  • Through ORGANIZE.org, a national database that holds your registration through your lifetime, regardless of where you move to.

By Phone

You can also call the ARORA office at (501) 907-9150 to discuss options for registering with the donor agency. Talk with your family, friends, and doctor about becoming a donor. Your family will appreciate knowing your wishes.

In Person

When you apply for your driver's license or go in for a renewal, let the licensing desk know you want to become a donor. Once your license is printed, it will indicate your choice to be a donor.

Update/Change Your Organ Donation Status

You can update or change your organ donor profile online at the Regional Organ Recovery Agency website.

If you registered at the DMV, you can create a new online login and password in case you need to make changes.

How You Can Help With Organ Donation

There are other ways you can support the cause, including:

  • Become an organ donor while you are still alive by donating a kidney or making a donation of lobes of an organ for a liver transplant or lung transplant. While most people who become living donors donate to a family member, there are many altruistic donors each year.
  • ARORA seeks the stories of people whose lives have been affected by organ donation. These stories help educate people about organ transplants.
  • ARORA also has many opportunities for area businesses to join their Workplace Partnership program.
  • Talk to people at your company to generate interest in donor drives, "Lunch and Learn" presentations and Green Ribbon Days for organ donation awareness.

The Donor Process

After brain death or cardio-pulmonary death, physicians will complete tests to determine which organs can be used for transplants. If organs are deemed suitable, the hospital will contact ARORA, Arkansas's organ procurement organization. ARORA will check its database to see if you are a registered organ donor. If you are not found in the registry, they will ask your family whether you wished to have your organs donated.

You may have more questions about how transplants are done or who pays for donating organs. ARORA has answers to many of your questions.

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