Day 15 of the Legacy Notebook Series
Most of what we’ve covered up to this point has been pretty cut and dried (here’s what I have, here’s how to access the info). Now that you have your passwords, financial basics, and insurance docs in place, we are going to dive deep into your wishes on certain matters.
Some of these topics may be easy for you – and things you’ve already thought about. Others may give you pause or highlight areas where you need to invest additional time. Don’t let that derail your progress or distract you. Work at your pace. If you get stuck, move on to something else and then circle back once you’ve had some time to think things over.
Today’s topics are organ donation, bone marrow donor registry information, and cord blood banking. Admittedly, I chose these topics because they are relevant for my family. Some of these may not apply to you and you may have other items to add to this section. Make it fit for your situation.
Organ Donor Registry
Choosing to be an organ donor is a highly personal decision. In my home state, you can join the organ donation registry by simply checking a box on your driver’s license application or renewal form or join online (WY). Based on a quick Google search, it appears that most states have individual DonateLife websites with registry information. If you state doesn’t have a DonateLife webpage, you can use this link to register.
Whatever you choose regarding organ donation, add the info to your notebook. This could be a printout of the registry confirmation, copy of your drivers’ license indicating donor status, or simply a note spelling out your wishes. Please be clear in stating whether or not you wish to donate all (or some) organs so that your loved ones aren’t put in the position of trying to guess your wishes.
Bone Marrow Donor Registry
If you are registered as a bone marrow donor, add that information to your notebook. To be clear, bone marrow donation is done while you are alive not something that happens after death. I’m just suggesting you add this information to your notebook so it is in the same place as all your other important information.
I’ve only been a registered donor for a couple of years. This was one of those things that I wanted to do, but I didn’t follow through right away. I joined the Be The Match registry and it is a multi-step process (or at least it was when I joined). I filled out an online registration form, received a registration kit in the mail, collected a cheek cell sample and mailed the kit back. There are some age and medical restrictions for donation. The website is a wealth of information if this is something that interests you.
Cord Blood Banking
We elected to bank cord blood for both of our kids. If cord blood banking applies to your family, add the information to your notebook so other family members could access it, if necessary. We just printed out the summary info for our account and added our online access info to our password manager app.
Anything Else That Fits In This Section
If you have anything else that fits in this section, add it here.
Today’s Action Items:
- Add your organ donation decision/info to your notebook
- Add any other medical registry information (bone marrow donation, cord blood banking, etc.)
- Talk to your loved ones about your wishes regarding organ donation.
thanks for reading,
Lesley
P.S. Looking for the rest of the series? You can find it here.
Stronger Wallet’s Legacy Notebook series information is intentionally general in nature and covers typical scenarios. You may have special circumstances that need to be considered. Always consult a trusted advisor before making big decisions about your financial legacy. Feel free to send me questions along the way at lesley[at]strongerwallet.com.
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The guide includes everything you need to get started: a cover sheet and divider pages to set up your notebook, an overview of each topic, checklists, worksheets, and writing prompts to guide you through the process.
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