Funeral Directors

 

As a nurse, Tracee is helping others, just like she was helped when she received her kidney transplant in May 1999.

Lifeline of Ohio is dedicated to building successful relationships with Funeral Homes -- a partnership that will help to save lives!

The individual who has donated his or her organs or tissue has given others a second chance at life. This altruistic gift will have lasting implications not only for those recipients who have renewed hope for the future, but also for the families of the donor.

For the donor family, this is a tragic time in their life -- someone they love has just died. Yet because of their loved one's decision to be an organ and tissue donor, their unselfish gift will give others a second chance at life. Many donor families have expressed that this is often the only thing positive to come out of this terrible situation.

Supporting families in their time of need

They can view the donation as a legacy of love through which their loved one lives on, helping others. Donor families have demonstrated how comforting donation can be as they create Donor Memorial Quilt squares in memory of their loved one. Additionally, the Lifeline of Ohio Donor Memorial provides a permanent public place for donor families to find comfort and to honor their loved one as a hero of donation.

The donation process can be a complex time for families as they shift from the pain of loss to the realization that organ and tissue donation can make a difference in the lives of more than 50 individuals. During this time the family may have many questions and fears regarding their loved one's decision to donate. Lifeline of Ohio is dedicated to working with the families in honoring their loved one's decision for donation.

We make every effort to educate them about the various myths surrounding donation, but there may be issues for which they will want reassurance from you. For example, one common misconception is that if a person says yes to donation, they wouldn't be able to have a normal funeral. By supporting the family and answering their questions with a positive attitude as you discuss the preparation of the body after donation, you can provide them with the knowledge that an open-casket funeral is still possible. This education, reassurance, and support can directly impact how the family feels about the organ and tissue donation experience. Your role as a Funeral Director is a service to the community that cannot be duplicated and we hope that you will work with the families in a way that they do not feel as if donation was an inconvenience, but rather a "Gift of Life."

With every organ and tissue donor, Lifeline of Ohio follows the guidelines for best practices that were released by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) and the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO).

As Lifeline of Ohio looks to the future, we hope to strengthen our relationship with funeral directors by offering CEU programs and a resource manual.

The Lifeline of Ohio staff is available to answer any of your questions or concerns and we want to work closely with you to keep the lines of communication open so that both your needs and the needs of the Donor Family are being met. As you work with Lifeline of Ohio, an individual donor, and their family, we hope that you will take pride in knowing that you are helping to provide members of your community with life-saving organs and tissues!