Organ Donation Day: What everyone should know about the organ donor card

Firstly, there are alternatives to the organ donor card. For example, you can register your decision digitally in the organ donation register. This can be done via the website www.organspende-register.de , which The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices operates this. The advantage over the ID card: If necessary, hospitals can search for and retrieve declarations stored in the register.

What is needed to enter the decision there:

You can also express your wishes regarding your health in a living will. Record your organ donation . Theoretically, an informal piece of paper is sufficient, as long as it contains a name and signature. However, one method is not suitable for recording your organ donation decision: a will. It is only opened at a time when it is already too late for organ donation, according to the portal organspende-info.de of the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG).

Second, you can decide to donate organs from the age of 16. This is regulated by the Transplantation Act. Young people can declare their willingness to donate organs or tissue from their 16th birthday. They can withdraw their consent as early as their 14th birthday. If the child is younger, the parents or legal guardians decide on organ and tissue donation.

Once you've made a decision, you have to stick with it forever? That's not true. Fact 3: When it comes to your willingness to donate organs, you can change your mind at any time. Anyone who has registered their decision in the register can change their entry there at any time. Anyone with an organ donor card should destroy it and fill out a new one. The most recently submitted declaration is always valid.

The card belongs in your wallet, not in a drawer, is the fourth tip. A completed organ donor card is of little use if no one knows about its existence in an emergency. You should always carry the card with you, for example, in your wallet. Also important: Informing your relatives about your decision.

Tip 5: If you're traveling abroad, you should carry your organ donor card with you – in the local language. Templates in 29 foreign languages ​​can be downloaded here. Background: The laws regarding organ donation in your vacation destination can be very different than in Germany. While in this country, you can only be considered an organ donor if you have consented, in France, Spain, and Italy, for example, there is an opt-out option. This means you're automatically a donor unless you actively opt out.

In the event of a death abroad, the laws of the respective country apply – regardless of the deceased's nationality. Therefore, if you want to ensure that your wishes are respected abroad, you should familiarize yourself with the regulations in advance and, of course, have your ID with you.