How to Donate Your Body to Science
Donating your body to science is a selfless and noble act that leaves a lasting impact for generations. This is why many people are choosing it over traditional burials. Among the other reasons why body donation is becoming an end-of-life choice for many people are:
The Body Donation Process
If the donor has already passed away
How To Register Yourself As A Body Donor
1. Registering as a Donor
The first thing you need to do to register as a body donor with DonorCure is to determine your eligibility. Our friendly donation coordinators are available 24/7 to conduct a donor eligibility screening. They can also help you if you want to verify a donor’s registration.
After confirming your eligibility, you can then begin your registration at our secure online registration software. Make sure to answer the questions as accurately as possible and to the best of your knowledge.
If you want to do it offline, you can also download our whole body donation forms or request a copy of our brochure and donation forms by mail. Complete the forms and mail them to us.
Upon receipt of your intent to donate your body after death, your information will then be recorded in our whole body donor registry. Your donor card and welcome packet will be sent to you by mail within 2-3 weeks.
Be sure to carry your donor card with you at all times and inform your family of your decision. This will help them carry out the donation according to your wishes.
2. When a Donor Passes Away
At the time of a donor’s passing, caregivers and family members should inform us right away. Our donation coordinators will interview medical professionals to determine if the donor is still eligible for donation.
Once their eligibility is confirmed, we will then arrange for the body’s transportation to our facility. All related costs for transporting the body shall be on our account. But if the family has contacted a funeral service company before informing us, we will not reimburse the transportation costs incurred.
Upon arriving at our facility, the donor will then be matched to a medical research. As much as we want to, we cannot guarantee that the donation will be matched with the donor’s preferred medical research. It will depend on the research needs at the time of the donor’s passing. DonorCure will also take care of filing for the donor’s death certificate. Depending on the state, death certificates will be mailed to the family within 4 to 6 weeks.
3. Completion of Donation
Once the donation is complete, the donor’s remains will be cremated. Again, we will cover all related expenses. The cremated remains will either be sent back to the donor’s family or scattered at sea depending on their wishes. Should they choose the former, the cremains will be sent to the family by standard post. It usually takes around 8 to 12 weeks from the time of passing before they’re sent back to the family.
Registration for Terminally-Ill and Hospice Care Patients
If you or a family member is already receiving hospice care or has a life expectancy of less than 6 months, please inform us so we can conduct a pre-screening. This process is not a requirement but it will make the process faster and more convenient for families at the time of passing.
A donor’s legal next of kin or healthcare agent may also complete the registration process should they not be capable of doing so. Make sure they submit a full and complete copy of the Healthcare Power of Attorney together with the body donation forms.
For Hospice and Professional Caregivers
As a medical professional, it sometimes falls on your lap to help your patient make an end-of-life decision. If you’d like to help them register as a body donor, you can contact us at (800) 928-8233. Our donation coordinators are available 24/7 to conduct an eligibility screening.
If your patient hasn’t registered as a body donor while alive, they can still become one upon death. But we need to determine their eligibility first. The sooner you coordinate with us, the higher their chance of acceptance is.
Should you like to learn more about our body donation program, we also conduct in-service orientations and webinars for medical professionals. Please get in touch with us to schedule a presentation. Our Education Directors are more than willing to answer all your questions.
Who Can Donate Their Bodies to Science?
Almost anyone can donate their bodies to science. DonorCure does not impose any age or gender restrictions and accepts people with a wide variety of medical conditions.
But certain medical conditions might affect your eligibility for body donation. This includes being diagnosed with communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis B as well as a history of intravenous drug use, institutionalization and homelessness. Severe obesity or emaciation at the time of death can also cause your donation to get denied. DonorCure can also only accept donations from within the continental United States.
Why Should You Donate Your Body to Science?
Donating your body to science is a selfless and noble act that leaves a lasting impact for generations. This is why many people are choosing it over traditional burials. Among the other reasons why body donation is becoming an end-of-life choice for many people are:
It Paves the Way for Medical Breakthroughs
Since the beginning of civilization, humanity has been plagued with various diseases. But over the years, medical professionals have worked tirelessly to triumph over these illnesses. Unfortunately, treatments and cures for certain diseases remain beyond our reach.
Body donation helps medical professionals come up with medical breakthroughs to treat such diseases. In essence, it supports and enables medical research that saves lives.
In fact, thanks to body donors, one researcher in Australia was able to complete her research on the structural anatomy of the breast. The results of this study are very promising in the field of cancer treatment, cosmetic surgery, and even bra design.
You Are Leaving a Lasting Legacy
By donating your body to science, you are leaving a legacy that benefits generations. It
does not just save lives, it transforms the world of medicine itself. The medical breakthroughs and discoveries will change the future not just for your descendants but for all of humanity. If that’s not a legacy worth leaving, then nothing is.
You or Your Family Can Save on Funeral Costs
For people who don’t want to burden their families with excessive funeral costs, body donation makes a more practical option.
Body donors don’t have to pay anything to donate their body to science. On top of that, body donation institutions like DonorCure takes care of cremation and death certificate expenses. And should the donor request for their cremains to be scattered at sea, DonorCure takes care of it too. This helps their families save up to $1,500 in cremation and $2,000 in burial plots.
Do you want to be an agent of change? Help us transform the world of medicine by donating your body to science.
DonorCure connects donors with medical researchers and educators who work so hard to make life better for all of us. We understand what a huge responsibility this is. Thus, we always see to it that our donors are treated with compassion and respect while upholding a commitment to ethical standards and the highest regard for safety.
Talk To Us
We are available now to answer your questions regarding whole body donation and assist you with the registration process. We work hard to serve our donors with the utmost care, compassion, respect and a commitment to the highest standards.
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