Once an individual has made the decision to be an organ, tissue and eye donor and has joined the Mississippi Donor Registry, that individual’s decision is honored. Family members cannot override that individual’s decision to donate. At the time when donation is possible, family members will be informed of their loved one's wish to donate and walked through the process so they will know and understand how the recovery agency will carry out the deceased's decision to be a donor. In the event of a loved one’s sudden death, it will ease the family’s pain to already know the wishes of their loved one regarding donation. For this reason we recommend that you share your wishes with your family today

Though the answers vary from one denomination to another, research has found that the vast majority of religions do support donation and transplantation.

The body is treated with great respect and dignity throughout the process, and the donor's appearance following donation still allows for an open-casket funeral. Once the organ, tissue and eye recovery process is completed, the body is released to the donor’s family (or, if legally required first, to the local medical examiner’s office). From the time the donation process begins, the entire process is usually completed within 24 to 36 hours, and the family may then proceed with funeral arrangements.

The identity of all parties is kept confidential. The donor family and the transplant recipient may receive such information as age, gender, occupation and state of residence. Individually, the recipient may be told the circumstances of the donor’s death. The donor family may be informed of the transplants that were performed and receive information on improvements to the health of the recipients. The donation agencies facilitate anonymous correspondence and meetings initiated by either the donor family or recipient and only if agreed to by both parties.

No. Confidentiality is provided both for the donor families and the recipients. The recovery agency can act as a liaison if the recipient wishes to correspond anonymously with the donor family, or vice versa. It is only after extended anonymous communication, and the agreement of both parties, that the names are released.