Whole body donation is a powerful way to contribute to medical research, education, and advancements in healthcare. It allows you to leave a lasting legacy by helping medical professionals learn more about the human body, develop new treatments, and improve surgical techniques.
However, donating your body to science can feel a little unsettling, especially if you haven’t thought about it before. This guide explores how to find trusted whole body donation programs, the differences between organ and whole body donation, and the steps you need to take to get started.
Let’s take a look at organ donation first and then at how it relates to whole body donation.
What Body Parts of the Human Body Can Be Donated After Death?
After death, you can donate organs and tissue for transplants or to help enhance someone else’s life. Organs include:
- Heart
- Kidney
- Lungs
- Pancreas
- Liver
- Intestines
Most common tissue donations include:
- Bones
- Blood vessels
- Corneas
- Eye tissue
- Heart valves
- Skin
How Many Organs Can Be Donated from One Human Body?
You can donate eight organs in total. While there are six organ types, you have two kidneys and two lungs which brings the total number to eight.
What Is the Importance of Organ Donation After Death?
Organ donation after death saves lives.
At any time, there are more than 103,000 patients on the waiting list for life-saving transplants. For those with end-stage organ failure, it is a matter of life and death. Every eight minutes, another person is added to the list, and 17 people die every day because the organs they need are not available. Despite the fact that 170 million people in the U.S. are registered as organ donors, there simply are not enough viable organs for those who need them.
You can register to become an organ donor at your local Department of Motor Vehicles or at OrganDonor.Gov where you can find the appropriate agency within your state. For example, if you are looking for a whole body donation near you in Rhode Island, it will take you to registerme.org to put you on the national donate-life register.
What Are the Cons of Organ Donation?
While there are significant benefits to becoming an organ donor, there are also a few negative aspects that you should consider.
For those donating organs while still alive, there can be complications from surgery and long-term impact. For example, some kidney donors experience problems with high blood pressure or develop diabetes. There are also psychological risks. Some insurance companies may not cover problems that show up after a donation.
Organ donation after death also has some limitations. Despite your intentions, you may not be a match for recipients on the national waiting list. The quality of the organs may not be suitable, depending on the health of the deceased.
Organs also must be harvested and transplanted within a very limited time frame. If someone passes away outside of a hospital, there may not be enough time to save the organs.
Is It Possible to Donate My Whole Body?
Yes, you can donate your entire body to medical science. This is a selfless act that can help generations to come. While transplants focus on the immediate needs of patients, whole body donation helps train future doctors, refine surgical techniques, and aid in the understanding of disease progression.
Donated bodies have led to significant medical breakthroughs in the treatment of patients with cancer, heart disease, dementia, and more. In one case, researchers studied the brains of Alzheimer’s patients after death, comparing them to healthy tissue. They were able to identify thousands of different proteins in the brain to pinpoint where changes were most likely to occur. This led to the creation of the largest database ever known, which includes details on molecular and protein changes that were previously unknown. The database is now available for free for scientists and medical professionals worldwide to help in earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Can I Be an Organ Donor and Whole Body Donor?
Through some body donation programs, it is possible to be both an organ donor and a whole body donor in some cases. If you are donating directly to a medical education facility, such as Brown University in Providence, it may not accept body donations if organs have been removed or an autopsy was performed.
United Tissue Network (UTN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that coordinates whole body donations near you in multiple states, does allow for organ donation and whole body donation. UTN will work with medical facilities to prioritize life-saving transplants and then place the deceased with appropriate medical research or educational facilities afterward. Placement depends on current needs, but UTN has connections with a wide range of reputable institutions. So, if one program does not have a current need, bodies can be placed at other programs.
How Can We Donate Our Body After Death?
The easiest way to register for whole body donation near you is to sign up with United Tissue Network. Note: you will need to sign up to become a whole body donor even if you already register to be an organ donor.
You can donate directly to a specific body donation program at a nearby medical education institution. However, there may be some costs involved and acceptance is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on current needs. There is no cost to become a whole body donor at United Tissue Network. UTN covers all costs associated with the body donation program. As a nonprofit, UTN accepts more body donations and facilitates placement where the need is greatest.
How Do I Donate My Body to Science?
To donate your body to science, go to the United Tissue Website. You can pledge yourself or register a loved one for a whole body donation. As the only non-profit science body donation organization, UTN has helped nearly 12,000 families become body donors. A team of dedicated and compassionate professionals can guide you through the process and handle the arrangements when the time comes.
Here are the steps involved in whole body donation with UTN.
Step One: Submit an Online Form
You will need to fill out an online form with the name of the donor and provide proof of the donor’s wishes to donate (informed consent). You will also be asked to provide a brief medical history. UTN accepts most donors, but communicable diseases such as HIV or hepatitis cannot be accepted for the safety of medical researchers and students.
Step Two: Contact UTN
When the form is submitted, you will be prompted to contact one of UTN’s team members. They will answer your questions and help you finalize the paperwork.
Step Three: Acceptance Into the Body Donation Program
Once you are accepted into the body donation program, you will receive a Donor Security certificate, which you can share with family members or medical teams to indicate your wishes to become a donor upon death. It’s a good idea to also include this information in your will or any applicable medical directives.
What Happens to My Body After Death?
When you or a loved one passes away, family members should contact United Tissue Network as soon as possible. Timing is important as bodies have to be preserved appropriately. Depending on the cause of death and condition of the body, there may need to be some additional testing done when someone passes away.
From there, UTN will handle the arrangements with a hospital, hospice center, funeral home, or family members for the transportation of the body to a reputable medical research or educational program.
After medical research or education has been completed, the body will be transported to a licensed cremation facility. Cremated remains may be returned to family members upon request.
There is no cost to become a whole body donor through UTN. United Tissue Network covers 100% of the costs for transportation, placement, and cremation. This can help relieve much of the financial burden associated with end of life for families.
How Are Donated Bodies Used?
Donated bodies play a critical role in advancing medical science, research, and education. Here are just a few ways a whole body donation near you can help.
Medical Education
Medical Research
Donated bodies are also used by forensic scientists to help understand trauma and decomposition.
How Long Does the Whole Body Donation Process Take?
You can register to become a whole body donor in just a few minutes. When someone dies, the research phase can take a few weeks, months, or even years depending on the specific program.
Afterward, you get a no-cost cremation through UTN. Remains can be returned to family members or disposed of in an ethical manner.
Do You Have a Funeral If You Donate Your Body to Science?
With whole body donation, you can still have a funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life. However, you will not be able to have an open casket or viewing ceremony. Without the body present, you have greater flexibility in scheduling a memorial, which is often helpful when people have to travel to take part.
Many families hold ceremonies at the time of passing and then have more intimate gatherings to scatter the remains at a later date.
Frequently Asked Questions—FAQs About Whole Body Donation
Can I get paid to be an organ donor or whole body donor?
No, you do not get paid to donate your body or organs. In the United States, it is illegal to buy or sell human organs and tissues under the National Organ Transplant Act. Whole body donation programs, like United Tissue Network, provide their services at no cost to the donor or the donor’s family, including transportation, cremation, and placement with medical research or educational facilities. However, there is no financial compensation for your donation.
Can I choose how my body is used after donation?
Most whole body donation programs do not allow donors or their families to specify how the body will be used. Donated bodies are typically placed with medical research institutions, educational facilities, or healthcare companies based on current needs. However, reputable programs ensure that bodies are used respectfully and ethically to advance medical science and education.
Will my family receive the remains?
You have the option. When you make a whole body donation near you, let them know your wishes. Remains can be returned once medical education or research finishes. If you do not want the remains, they are disposed of ethically.
Can I change my mind after I register?
You can change your mind at any time. If you decide to withdraw consent, contact the body donation program and request to be removed from the registry. If you have included body donation in your will or other legal documents, you will also want to change them to avoid confusion upon your death.
