Donating your body to science is a concept most people misunderstand and it’s one that requires a good deal of thought and pre-planning. If you’ve been thinking about becoming a donor then you really need to take the time to learn how the process works. Here is a quick overview of how body donation works so you’ll have a good understanding of everything that’s involved with making a body donation.
Getting Signed Up
Not all body donation programs require you to pre-register but making plans ahead of time certainly will cut down on confusion pertaining to your personal wishes. Most of the programs out there allow people to sign up for their registries that consist of potential body donors as long as they are at least 18 years old. You’re usually able to sign up right on the internet or you could choose to have a registration kit sent to you via regular mail. When you apply to join a program, you will need to answer some questions about your health and give some information about your loved ones. This info is always kept confidential so neither you nor your family members need to worry about privacy.
You’ll Receive Information
Once a program accepts you as a donor, it will send you some information. This info will include details about how your body will be transported and about how and when your cremated remains will be returned to your loved ones. It’s very important that you share this information with your family/loved ones so they don’t face any surprises once you pass away.
The Use of Your Body and The Return of Your Remains
The program you join will use your body for research or medical education. Your body may be at a facility for several weeks as it is studied by students and scientists. Your loved ones will not be told how your body was used nor will they receive any reports regarding pathological findings. When the facility is done using your body, your cremated remains will then be sent to your loved ones.
A Thoughtful and Very Generous Gift
Donating your body to science is a truly noble thing to do. Every day and all around the world, student doctors, scientists and research teams use donated bodies to learn new medical and surgical techniques and to develop new medical instruments. The chances are good that the program you join will let your family know about the projects donated bodies are being used for. Some programs even plant trees to honor their donors. In short, making a body donation is a kind act of caring that is very much appreciated by many people.
There is a shortage of body donations the world over. Deciding to become a donor is a decision not to be taken lightly as you should carefully think about it before pledging. People decide to become body donors for a variety of reasons. Some people wish to leave behind a legacy when they die. Others want to help the future of mankind through their donations as they know donated bodies are used to help find treatments and cures for many types of diseases. If you do sign up and become accepted into a program, be sure to let your closet family members and loved ones know about it. This way, they will know what to expect when you pass away.
