What Is Body Donation?
When you donate a body in Nevada, you contribute to advancing medical science. Donated bodies help train medical students, study diseases, and develop new medical procedures.
Donated bodies are different from organ donations, although you can be both an organ donor and make your body available as well. While organ donations are used for life-saving transplants, body donations are used for education and training for future medical breakthroughs.
Eligibility to Donate a Body in Nevada
United Tissues Network (UTN) coordinates body donations in Nevada.
UTN accepts whole body donations from anyone 18 years and older so researchers can study a wide variety of diseases, including:
- Various types of cancers
- Alzheimer’s
- Dementia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Heart disease
UTN cannot accept donors who have communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS or hepatitis, to protect the safety of researchers and scientists.
Donors are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, which typically includes a review of the donor’s medical history. UTN accepts more than 97% of donations. Because of the non-profit nature of the organization, UTN has more latitude in which donations they accept.
Benefits of Body Donation in Nevada
The benefits of body donation in Nevada are broad for both families and healthcare professionals.
Benefits to Families and Loved Ones
Donors and family members can take comfort in knowing that the passing of a loved one is playing an important role in advancing medical science. Breakthroughs in treatments, drugs, and medical devices have all come from body donations.
Families can also find some relief from the financial burden associated with a loved one’s passing. United Tissue Network pays for the cost of transportation, storage, and placement with a reputable research organization or educational facility. After research is completed, UTN coordinates and pays for cremation at a licensed facility. Family members can pick up the remains at a local facility, have them returned to them at no cost, or have the facility dispose of them properly.
This can save families thousands of dollars compared to the expense of a traditional funeral and burial or cremation, helping lower the financial cost of a loved one’s passing.
Benefits to Healthcare Professionals
Body donations provide significant benefits for healthcare professionals in several ways, including:
- Medical students get hands-on training in the study of anatomy.
- Surgeons can practice and perfect life-saving surgical skills.
- Medical researchers can study the progression of diseases, new drug therapies, and innovative medical devices.
- EMTs and paramedics refine their skills for dealing with trauma.
- Forensic investigators can study the impact of various diseases.
- Biomedical engineers test prosthetics and assistive devices.
All of these play a part in advancing medical science and improving patient outcomes.
Other Considerations
When you donate a body in Nevada, you make a meaningful and lasting contribution to future doctors and patients. UTN and the facilities it works with handle the process with compassion and respect, making sure to align procedures with any religious or cultural traditions. Donor identities remain confidential. Researchers and students will not know the donor’s name; donations are anonymous.
You can pledge your body or pre-register your loved one by completing an online form on UTN’s website. You need basic information to identify you or your loved one and a brief medical history. You will then receive a Donor Pledge Card that identifies you or your loved one as a body donor.
You may also wish to be an organ donor. UTN coordinates with state organ donation organizations, giving priority to life-saving transplants.
You can make a donation after a loved one has passed, although you will want to do that immediately upon death as there are regulations about handling bodies in a timely manner. At the time of passing, UTN will coordinate with local hospice centers or funeral homes to handle the arrangements.
While families will not be able to have a traditional viewing ceremony, many families choose to honor their loved ones in their own way. This might be with a traditional memorial ceremony, a celebration of life, or other gathering. While UTN pays for placement and cremation, any costs associated with a memorial service are up to the families.
About United Tissue Network
United Tissue Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency and does not profit from donations. Accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), donations are handled in strict compliance with the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) and all state regulations.
If at any time you have questions about the process or what to expect, you can contact the Donor Service Coordinators at United Tissue Network at 877-738-6111 24/7.