I occasionally get questions about various types of
charitable donations. The monetary
charitable donations can easily be written into Wills or prepared in advance
for the benefit of the organization.
But there are other things to give to charity besides money, which are
not necessarily easily put into your will (with good reason). One of those things is your body! Besides organ donation, one can donate
one’s full body to a medical program.
There are two main full body donation programs in
Minnesota. The University of Minnesota
has its Anatomy Bequest Program
via its medical school. Mayo Clinic’s
Department of Anatomy in Rochester, Minnesota, also has an Anatomical Bequest
program.
The Process
The process in simple while you are alive, since
nothing truly goes into affect until you die. Both institutions have forms
online that you can fill out to start the gifting process. (Those forms can be found here
and here.) It is important to let your desire to donate
your body be known to the people who will be taking care of things after you
die. After that, nothing happens until
you die.
Under Minnesota Law,
a donor must be an adult, an emancipated minor, the agent of a donor (unless
restricted under the donor’s health care directive or other record), or the
parent or guardian of a donor. The
desire to donate can be indicated simply by filing out a form with one of the
two organizations. The desire to make
anatomical gifts can also be indicated on one’s driver’s license or in one’s
will (although if the will is not read until after the funeral, it may inhibit
the gift). If the donor is terminally
ill or injured, any form of communication from the donor indicating a desire to
make an anatomical gift must be witnessed by two adults, one of which is a
disinterested party.
If you change your mind about wanting to make a donation,
you will need to put that in writing and have it signed and witnessed by two
adults.
What do they do
with your body?
Once you die, you will be
transported to the donation facility.
If you die in the state of Minnesota, the costs of transportation may be
completely covered by the donation program.
If you die outside of the state of Minnesota, your estate or next of kin
may need to pay to get your body transported to the program. This can be facilitated by a funeral home.
After your body arrives at the
program, it is prepared (possibly embalmed) and stored for use by students or
other medical professionals. Cadavers
are often used in medical school anatomy classes, teaching surgical techniques,
and research. How long a body is used
depends up on the program but can range from a few months to a year and a half
or more.
What happens to my
body when class is over?
Depending on the program, the
remains are turned over to the family of the donor, either as a whole or in a
cremated (or
biocremated)
state. If there is no family or if the
donor wishes, the programs do have final resting places for their donors. Also, there is typically an annual memorial
service for program donors.
