Carolina Donor Services does something similar to the eye bank, but they cover a much wider spectrum.

Carolina Donor Services is the federally designated organ procurement organization serving 6.1 million people in 79 counties in North Carolina and Danville, VA. Their service area includes 102 hospitals and four transplant centers that perform heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplants.

“Our mission is to maximize the passing of the heroic gift of life from one human being to another through organ and tissue donation,” said Beth Hinesley, community relations coordinator for Carolina Donor Services.

Hinesley said the staff works to increase the awareness of the need for organ and tissue donors and to deliver the most sensitive approach to organ and tissue donation. They perform public and professional education as well as coordinate the entire organ and tissue donation process.

Carolina Donor Services has three main offices — Durham/Chapel Hill, Greenville and Winston-Salem.

Carolina Donor Services has family support coordinators who work with donor families, just like the N.C. Eye Bank. They work to make sure that families understand what has been told to them and also answer any questions they may have about donation. Coordinators understand how time sensitive this is so they work with hospital staff to make sure families are ready to make donation decisions.

“We work closely with all of our hospitals in our service area to make sure every family has an opportunity to fulfill their loved ones wishes to be an organ and tissue donor,” Hinesley said.

In North Carolina there are three different ways you can become an organ donor - registering with the DMV, registering at www.donatelifenc.org or by completing a paper enrollment form by calling 1-800-200-2672.

There are still a number of questions the folks at Carolina Donor Services receive including:

Will becoming a donor affect the quality of medical care I receive? Absolutely not. Medical care is always based on what is necessary to save a patient’s life. Patients can be considered for donation only after they are declared dead.

Is there any age limit for donation? No. Potential donors are evaluated on an individual basis, regardless of age.

Is it true that only rich people get transplants? No. Factors such as race, gender, age, income or celebrity status are never considered when determining who receives an organ. The organ allocation and distribution system is based on many factors including blood type, length of time on waiting list, geographical location, severity of illness and other medical criteria. There is no way to buy a place on the waiting list.

If I am a donor, will there be a delay in funeral services? In most cases, no. Usually the procedure can be completed and the body released to the funeral home the next day.

Can I still have an open casket funeral? Yes. Organ and tissue recoveries are conducted in the operating room under the direction of qualified surgical personnel. An incision is made, closed and dressed, therefore, the body’s appearance is not changed by the donation process. Also, the identity of the donor family is kept confidential.

Can I still be an organ donor and also donate my body to science? If you are an organ or tissue donor, a medical school will not accept your remains for teaching purposes. However, if you are an eye donor, you may donate your body to a medical school. Some research institutions will accept your body for research after organ and tissue donation.