If you plan to donate your body to science after death, do you know how to go about doing it?

[SaoirseS]

A lot of people don't seem to realize that at least in the United States, you can't drop a covered body in my driveway just before dawn with one yellow sticky note reading (verbatim): "For donate to science" and another reading "Handle with care."

Whole body donations must be prearranged by the individual well in advance.

Would a MyTake explaining what it takes be useful?

Updates

+1 y

I probably didn't phrase the question right. What I'm asking is if you plan to donate your WHOLE body to science (or to an art academy), are you aware of what it takes to do it? That's different than organ donor authorization.

Updates

+1 y

Update #2:
Here's the MyTake
What's Involved in Donating Your Body to Science: What You May and May Not Know ↗

[Andres77]

It's declared on your driver's license and as soon as one arrives at the hospital and they're aware of it they take immediate steps to preserve everything possible until death is declared and then it's like Black Friday at Walmart in the operating room, cutting organs out and putting them in ice containers and sending them to wherever the next recipient is.
It's an established practice. If it's on your license then you'll get sliced and diced and partitioned to the four winds.

[Andres77]

Update: I did not know that. And I'd rather donate my nuggets to help people live rather than a bunch of students who are just going to make fun of my body anyway so.
I'm good
But thanks for clarifying that.

[TheMajesticKing777]

I don't care about science, no one is going to play with my guts

[SaoirseS]

Understandable.

[Smoke-n-Growls]

Yeah.

In Canada, you register with your provincial registries when you renew your license. I'm sure there's other ways, too, but that's often the most available.

Personally, I'm a fan of it. If I die and my organs can still be used, I hope someone in need can live on with them. I sure as hell won't need em, lol!

[SaoirseS]

I'm talking about whole body donations, not organ donations.

[SaoirseS]

But yeah, I get you. Same here, we have donor designation (or not) on our driver's licenses.

[Smoke-n-Growls]

Oh, I'm not sure if whole body donations are done... They just take your whole remains and extract what organs they can, then I believe return the remains for cremation and return to family.

I plan to donate my organs, be cremated, and ideally be buried in a pod or urn that will support a tree or sprout mushrooms - or both!

To dust I return and to the Earth goes my body.

[menina]

I thought about doing that but it seems too complicated, so I don't want to do that anymore.
Yes, if you know a lot about this topic you could write a Take about it. It would be helpful, I'm sure.

[SaoirseS]

It's not really that complicated, key thing is the individual has to find a specific facility to accept the donation and fill out its paperwork/authorization PRIOR to death. All too many families don't realize they can't donate a loved one on their say so. Also, despite one's best planning efforts, folks need to have a Plan B for a variety of reasons.

[menina]

Ok, thanks for explaining. I will keep that in mind but I'm more lean towards a process that is similar to cremation but it's done with water. I don't remember the name.

[SaoirseS]

It's a process called Alkaline Hydrolysis, commonly referred to as water cremation, aquamation, or under the trademarked name Resomation. I can arrange it, and in five years or less I plan to have the equipment to do it here.

[SaoirseS]

Here's some more info about it based on a question I asked some time back:

For those who choose cremation at end-of-life, have you heard of water cremation? If so, would you choose it over traditional flame cremation? ↗

[SaoirseS]

I see you commented on it then too :-)

[menina]

Oh yes, that's it. Now I just have to find out if that's available in other countries besides the US.
Thanks for explaining again. It's cool that you can do it.

[menina]

Yes I did Lol
I didn't know that water cremation existed before reading your question. So I got quite interested.

[SaoirseS]

Countries like Canada, Mexico, South Africa, UK, Netherlands have approved it legally, but they're still working out some of the implementation (like waste water regulations). I'm confident it will eventually replace traditional flame cremation.

[menina]

Then I'm screwed Lol

Yeah, it seems better that traditional cremation so it should replace it.

[menina]

Thanks for the MHO. 😊

[SaoirseS]

You’re welcome! 😀

[Still-alive]

I'll be sure to die on Bill Nye 'the science guys' drive way with the words 'donate my body to science' written with lipstick on myself. :P

[SaoirseS]

Better have a Plan B.

[Still-alive]

anyways yeah write the mytake lol. would be interesting

[SaoirseS]

OK :-)