We want to begin Section IV by saying “Thank you.” Thank you just for thinking about participating in clinical trials and studies that further health care discoveries every day. And thank you for donating your time and energy to the many worthy causes that work toward finding disease cures and preventing disease in the future. We admire your dedication, diligence, and desire to make a difference. Thank you if you’ve said “yes” to potentially becoming an organ donor.

We think of Section IV as the story of the modern-day Good Samaritan who gives back to the community by giving, literally, of him- or herself. Although we also applaud monetary charitable gifts, which we’ll talk more about in Chapter 14, “Estate Planning Wishes: Caring for Family, Friends, and Foundations,” selfless contributions of organs, cells, and information are invaluable. These are gifts—such as a pint of blood at your local blood drive—that can be given today with immediate benefit. They can also be donations that assist in long-term efforts to understand a particular disease (such as a tissue donation to a research institute) or the act of sharing your personal information for complex studies.

Throughout this section, we tell you about donation and research communities, as well as patient advocacy groups. We also explain how you can define your donation goals, protect yourself from liability as a volunteer, and make your volunteer experience the best that it can be. Lastly, we’ll explain more about informed consent, record keeping and reporting, and who actually owns what you’ve been kind enough to donate.

Your selfless contributions are a true example of exercising your free will to help others. And, as we said earlier, we applaud your efforts.