I want to be a donor
Find out everything you need to know about becoming a tissue donor or donating a deceased loved one’s tissue
What You Need to Know About Tissue Donation
What is donation?
Cornea and scleral tissue, bone, tendons, heart valves and skin can all be recovered after death and used for transplantation.
Which organs can be transplanted in South Africa?
Heart, lung(s), liver, kidney and pancreas are recovered from brain-stem dead, heart-beating donors.
Who can be a tissue donor?
As a general rule, any healthy individual between the ages of 16 and 80 years, who does not have cancer, septicemia (the clinical name for blood poisoning), or an infectious disease such as hepatitis, syphilis or HIV/AIDS, is a potential tissue donor for bone, skin and heart valves.
For cornea donation specifically, any person from the age of 6 years, where death is as a result of either natural causes (such as heart diseases, most cancers or strokes) or unnatural circumstances like motor vehicle accident injuries, and gunshot or stab wounds is a potential cornea donor.
Cataracts and poor eyesight do not prevent cornea donation, however previous laser surgery to the eye, infections such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS; as well as cancers such as lymphoma and leukaemia do.
Please talk to us
Our trained donor coordinators will advise you on the impact of current or past medical conditions on your eligibility as a donor. Please talk to us if you have any questions.
Can I change my mind about donating?
Yes. You may change your mind at any time.
If you registered as and organ and tissue donor, and wish to withdraw your registration, please contact the Organ Donor Foundation and ask them to remove your details from the National Donor Registry. It is also important to tell your loved ones about your decision.
If you intended to donate a deceased loved one’s tissue, you can withdraw consent for donation up to the point of tissue recovery. Simply call one of our donor coordinators and tell us that you no longer wish to proceed with the donation.
How long after death can tissue be recovered?
Corneas and scleral tissue need to be recovered within 12 hours of death and transplanted within 10 days of recovery.
Register as an organ and tissue donor!
Find out everything you need to know about becoming a tissue donor or donating a deceased loved one’s tissue.