You May Have The Power To Save A Life

That’s a pretty profound headline!  Let’s dig deeper to see what this might mean in the context of estate planning.

Looking back on the mark you have made on the world may be part of your thought processes as you are planning your estate.  What will I be remembered for?  What is my legacy?  Some of you will do some serious soul-searching, attempting to get comfortable with the answers to those questions.  You might be asking those questions while you struggle with the pragmatic issue of how to arrange for the transfer of assets to your loved ones.  When creating an estate plan all of this is foremost on your mind.

However, there are other factors to consider as well, some requiring tough decisions.  It is possible that you could experience a medical condition that renders you unable to communicate at some point in time.  Medical science may be able to keep you alive, but you may prefer to let nature take its course should such a circumstance arise.

The best way to express your preferences with respect to whether or not you want to be kept alive via the use of artificial means indefinitely is through the execution of a living will. When you are making this decision, you may also want to ask yourself if you would want to be an organ and tissue donor.

According to www.OrganDonor.gov, 18 people die every day who could have otherwise been saved because no organ was available to them for transplant. So you may indeed be able to save a life if you decide to become an organ donor.

You can state your desire to donate organs, eyes, and/or tissue when you are drawing up your living will.  I recommend you include the instructions on your driver’s license as this document will be found much quicker than your legal documents.  An individual could also join the organ donor registry list by clicking on this link: Oklahoma Donor Registry.

If you are interested in creating a comprehensive plan for aging that leaves no stone unturned, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone to arrange for a consultation with a good Oklahoma City elder law attorney.

Larry Parman
Author, President and Founding Attorney
Parman & Easterday