Body Donation Services?

[Guest]

(Not sure where to post this, but this section seems "fitting.")

Have any of you had any experience with the (many) body donation services that purport to collect the remains and send them to a medical school? Here are some of them:

Biogift - Donate a body to science.
Welcome to LifeLegacy Foundation
Anatomy Gifts Registry
Whole Body Donation for Medical Research, Education and Training

I know some medical schools have body-donor programs but some only accept donations when death is within a 50 miles radius, otherwise the family has to pay (or make a donation somewhere else.)

Why do I ask? Well, first for general knowledge. Second, this is what I eventually want for myself. Third, my wife is having serious surgery next week and... well... you never know. Better to be prepared... then not.

Thanks.

 

[rousemark]

(Not sure where to post this, but this section seems "fitting.")

Have any of you had any experience with the (many) body donation services that purport to collect the remains and send them to a medical school? Here are some of them:

Biogift - Donate a body to science.
Welcome to LifeLegacy Foundation
Anatomy Gifts Registry
Whole Body Donation for Medical Research, Education and Training

I know some medical schools have body-donor programs but some only accept donations when death is within a 50 miles radius, otherwise the family has to pay (or make a donation somewhere else.)

Why do I ask? Well, first for general knowledge. Second, this is what I eventually want for myself. Third, my wife is having serious surgery next week and... well... you never know. Better to be prepared... then not.

Thanks.

I plan on wearing my body out so much that nobody will want it!

Wishing you wife the best and saying a prayer for her.

 

[funeraldirector]

(Not sure where to post this, but this section seems "fitting.")

Have any of you had any experience with the (many) body donation services that purport to collect the remains and send them to a medical school? Here are some of them:

Biogift - Donate a body to science.
Welcome to LifeLegacy Foundation
Anatomy Gifts Registry
Whole Body Donation for Medical Research, Education and Training

I know some medical schools have body-donor programs but some only accept donations when death is within a 50 miles radius, otherwise the family has to pay (or make a donation somewhere else.)

Why do I ask? Well, first for general knowledge. Second, this is what I eventually want for myself. Third, my wife is having serious surgery next week and... well... you never know. Better to be prepared... then not.

Thanks.

Science Care is the one I use at my FH. Here's how it works: the body is packed in a cremation container (cardboard) and surrounded with dry ice and shipped out. Then cross sectional microscope slides are made of various organs and then the body is cremated and the cremated remains are sent to the FH. The FH is paid about a thou and the family owes nothing. I justified introducing this program to my market to serve those families that come to the FH and say, "We ain't got no money."

After five years I've concluded that I don't like it for these reasons:

1. It was never intended as a preneed arrangement. Some of the public are using it that way yet I don't think these programs will survive.

2. Because I feel it's a moral violation of the anatomical gift act. It's against the law to buy or sell bodies or parts. The FH is paid to secure and ship and is paid to be part of the distribution strategy. The Feds are looking closely at these programs.

3. Much of the public doesn't like that it takes about a month to get the cremated remains returned.

4. Their paperwork has more knockout questions than underwritten DI
5. Al, do you really think that UC Davis wants your body?

 

[Newby]

Don't most medical schools keep the body 12 months? One month doesn't sound too bad.

 

[Guest]

5. Al, do you really think that UC Davis wants your body?

I don't know. I'm going to call them tomorrow and find out. It's my wife... and she's kinda cute so they may want her!

Personally, I think I could raise a lot of money to have myself buried somewhere in the South so that JD and JB could dance on my grave, along with a lot of others!!

Seriously, when a loved one is facing serious major surgery where you are told that there "are downside risks" you really have to consider the possibilities. I'm sure a few of you have been there. When they ask for a copy of your advanced health care directive, you kind of know what you are getting yourself into!

Here is a question that came up at dinner. If you are a registered organ donor with the DMV, how does that effect leaving your body to a med school? Who actually gets dibs on your eyes, heart, liver, etc., when you assume room temp?

If you leave your body (I believe in the Krishna concept of reincarnation) in the OR, your good parts can all be taken there. But say you are killed in a car crash and they find the donor card in your wallet, what do the cops (or EMT guys) do? Who do they call to harvest whatever is worth having?

Anyway, thanks for the excellent post. I understand why you might not be in favor of people leaving their bodies to "science" from a biz standpoint, but don't many people still hire a funeral home to hold a memorial service?

My bet is that very few people leave their bodies to med school... as the thought of a bunch of irreverent kids carving up on you or a loved one, joking, and wise-cracking the whole time is pretty repugnant to most people. But I figure that maybe it will help someone in the room be a better doctor who will go on in life and do good things. I'm going to get a new body anyway, so I don't much care what happens to the old one.

But I'm sure others don't, won't, or can't see it that way and that's fine with me.

Surgery is next week. It will give me peace of mind to know that the worst case scenario is provided for should my very expensive wife not make it. I think most of you can understand that. Others here... probably not.

 

[Migshannon]

al3, I have run across this many times, normally it's a male client that's being difficult who spouts out" I'm gonna donate my body to science" " they can just bury me in the back yard"

Like you I did my research and found that it really cost money to donate your body to science and if you die from various reasons they will not except the body.
Carry the information in your briefcase and be prepared to educate your clients that donating their boby to science may not protect their family from financial burden.

Shannon Davey

 

[funeraldirector]

I don't know. I'm going to call them tomorrow and find out. It's my wife... and she's kinda cute so they may want her!

Personally, I think I could raise a lot of money to have myself buried somewhere in the South so that JD and JB could dance on my grave, along with a lot of others!!

Seriously, when a loved one is facing serious major surgery where you are told that there "are downside risks" you really have to consider the possibilities. I'm sure a few of you have been there. When they ask for a copy of your advanced health care directive, you kind of know what you are getting yourself into!

Here is a question that came up at dinner. If you are a registered organ donor with the DMV, how does that effect leaving your body to a med school? Who actually gets dibs on your eyes, heart, liver, etc., when you assume room temp?

If you leave your body (I believe in the Krishna concept of reincarnation) in the OR, your good parts can all be taken there. But say you are killed in a car crash and they find the donor card in your wallet, what do the cops (or EMT guys) do? Who do they call to harvest whatever is worth having?

Anyway, thanks for the excellent post. I understand why you might not be in favor of people leaving their bodies to "science" from a biz standpoint, but don't many people still hire a funeral home to hold a memorial service?

My bet is that very few people leave their bodies to med school... as the thought of a bunch of irreverent kids carving up on you or a loved one, joking, and wise-cracking the whole time is pretty repugnant to most people. But I figure that maybe it will help someone in the room be a better doctor who will go on in life and do good things. I'm going to get a new body anyway, so I don't much care what happens to the old one.

But I'm sure others don't, won't, or can't see it that way and that's fine with me.

Surgery is next week. It will give me peace of mind to know that the worst case scenario is provided for should my very expensive wife not make it. I think most of you can understand that. Others here... probably not.

I'm sorry for all you're going through. I know that it's difficult. As to your questions: if a person has the donor dot on their license, and those organs are taken, then med schools or science care type companies don't want the body....As for memorial services, we don't do many in Calif. There is a trend toward simplicity but I do advise the families to get together and tell lots of good stories.Side note: at a memorial service the body isn't present. At a funeral service the body is present, either casketed or inurned. I'll make you a funeral director yet, Al! I know that everyone on the forum wishes you and Mrs. C the best...

 

[xrac]

..............Al! I know that everyone on the forum wishes you and Mrs. C the best...

Al, that is a fact. Hope all goes well and you and missis are in my prayers.

 

[Guest]

Al, that is a fact. Hope all goes well and you and missis are in my prayers.

Thank you. We're expecting a positive outcome. Her heart is strong and so is her frame of mind.

She will be in the hospital between seven and fourteen days if all goes well, and then home for a six week recovery.

We've hired a home-health gal whom we know to not only spend the first night or two in the hospital, but to be here 8 to 5 weekdays for the first month since my wife will have major ADL issues. I'll have weekend duty.

The visiting nurse will come a couple of times a week to monitor the Coumadin (Warfarin) levels and the PT guys will come twice a week to do their thing.

The best part about all of this is that it will be billed out at about $150,000 and you young guys are paying for it since she is on Medicare with a Plan F!!!

Thanks for the kind wishes, Xrac. Everything is going to be fine. As the old NY Mets fans used to say, "Ya gotta believe!"

 

[rousemark]

Thank you. We're expecting a positive outcome. Her heart is strong and so is her frame of mind.

She will be in the hospital between seven and fourteen days if all goes well, and then home for a six week recovery.

We've hired a home-health gal whom we know to not only spend the first night or two in the hospital, but to be here 8 to 5 weekdays for the first month since my wife will have major ADL issues. I'll have weekend duty.

The visiting nurse will come a couple of times a week to monitor the Coumadin (Warfarin) levels and the PT guys will come twice a week to do their thing.

The best part about all of this is that it will be billed out at about $150,000 and you young guys are paying for it since she is on Medicare with a Plan F!!!

Thanks for the kind wishes, Xrac. Everything is going to be fine. As the old NY Mets fans used to say, "Ya gotta believe!"

Wow! 7 - 14 days in the hospital.. Didn't know they kept anybody that long for anything anymore.. especially if on Medicare.. They send you home on the 3rd day after you have open heart bypass surgery now. Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. She'll do well.