Donating Your Body To Science

[Cool-Beans]

I just know there wsa one body that was horribly dried out and it was specifically stated to us by the medical student giving us a tour it was because the people working on it had failed to zip it up and it had been left out over a weekend. It was also specifically stated for us by the tour guide that they had actually lost an organ (I believe a liver) of one of the cadavers. This was openly admitted to us, a group of high schoolers planning to go into the medical profession by the person giving us the official tour. I was flat out shocked by the utter lack of respect displayed for the cadavers and made a mental note not only to never go to that school but also to never donate my body nor allow a loved one to.

It's quite possible that the liver they lost was lost to some place. They gave it to some teacher to show in some class somewhere else.

It's kind of hard to "lose" organs in a lab. It isn't like people go walking off with them.

But maybe some psycho did walk off with it. It would be pretty sad if the whole world said, "No more learning. Someone stole a liver."

You don't have to do it. You don't have to "allow" people you love to do it. It's not for everyone.

But it was a damned nice thing for the OP's mom to do, IMO.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I don't have a problem with dissection or even a sense of humor. I do have a problem with the very cavalier attitude toward things like leaving the body out so that it dries out, losing organs, etc. I wouldn't expect them to be weepy and solemn over my loved one's body, but I would expect them to at least treat it with some modicum of respect.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

It's quite possible that the liver they lost was lost to some place. They gave it to some teacher to show in some class somewhere else.

It's kind of hard to "lose" organs in a lab. It isn't like people go walking off with them.

But maybe some psycho did walk off with it. It would be pretty sad if the whole world said, "No more learning. Someone stole a liver."

You don't have to do it. You don't have to "allow" people you love to do it. It's not for everyone.

But it was a damned nice thing for the OP's mom to do, IMO.

I never said it was a bad thing or that nobody should. I simply stated that after the experience I had that I would want to do some research on that particular facility. My religion dictates that a body be treated with respect, and what I saw was not respectful at all. I would want to make sure that the facility is going to treat them with the respect my religion dictates. I think it's wonderful her mom wants to do this, I simply posted my opinion.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I don't have a problem with dissection or even a sense of humor. I do have a problem with the very cavalier attitude toward things like leaving the body out so that it dries out, losing organs, etc. I wouldn't expect them to be weepy and solemn over my loved one's body, but I would expect them to at least treat it with some modicum of respect.

You saw a dried up body, so everyone should stop learning? No more body donations?

Once again, it may not be for you, but it is nice of other people to do it.

You should check out the history of anatomy if you think that one dried up body is bad. Jeepers, you'd flip your lid. But it served a purpose. We're all better off for having learned about the body.

eta: I see that you have religious problems with it, which I understand. And that you recognize that it is nice for people who do not have issues with it to do it. So, yippee. We all do what works for us and can give our thanks to the OP's mom.

 

[mjantz]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you have to either be an organ donor or donate your body to science. Your body isn't any good to them with all the organs removed.

After having a gastric band put in a few years ago, I've decided to donate my body to science. My hope is that med students can learn about the effects of a gastric band on the body through the study of mine.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

You saw a dried up body, so everyone should stop learning? No more body donations?

Once again, it may not be for you, but it is nice of other people to do it.

You should check out the history of anatomy if you think that one dried up body is bad. Jeepers, you'd flip your lid. But it served a purpose. We're all better off for having learned about the body.

Seriously, are you actually reading my posts or just making assumptions? I never said that nobody should do it etc. etc. Once again, I would like to check into the facility to make sure they treat the body with respect as my religion dictates, but that is my choice. Where did I ever say, tell me, that that is what everybody else should do? I have no problem with donation whatsoever.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you have to either be an organ donor or donate your body to science. Your body isn't any good to them with all the organs removed.

After having a gastric band put in a few years ago, I've decided to donate my body to science. My hope is that med students can learn about the effects of a gastric band on the body through the study of mine.

What do you mean by that? It sounds like you are saying that everybody in the US either has to donate organs or their body, but I'm not sure that's an accurate assessment of your statement.

 

[HelenePA]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you have to either be an organ donor or donate your body to science. Your body isn't any good to them with all the organs removed.

After having a gastric band put in a few years ago, I've decided to donate my body to science. My hope is that med students can learn about the effects of a gastric band on the body through the study of mine.

I dont think its true.. my dad was autoposied before the body snatchers (as we lovingly called them) came and got him. We know he had a massive stroke which means his brain was taken out (I believe) I dont like to really think about these things since it was my dad..

 

[eowensby]

My brother decided years in advance to donate his body to science. He got in touch with Vanderbilt and did much of the paperwork; he carried a card that directed his wishes. His career was in biology, and he knew the value of his decision.
Upon his death, representatives of the university picked up the body from the local hospital. They were respectful and appreciative from beginning to end. I (as his Executor) received a questionnaire about details of his life that might help medical students learn more about specific situations.
After two years, I was asked whether we wanted to receive the cremains or allow the school to include my brother in a memorial service and burial close to the university. We wanted him to be buried in the family cemetery, so they mailed (registered, USPS) the tightly sealed box within a few days, along with a sincere, personalized letter of appreciation to the family.
As others have said, you have to realize that the spirit of the person you loved has gone to a better place. The vessel in which they lived is no longer useful, except to help further medical science. I am so proud of my brother for choosing this legacy.

My husband's grandmother donated her body to Vanderbilt 6 years ago. She had signed up years earlier. It took a couple of years to get her cremains back...they came sealed in a brown plastic box with a vanderbilt label and her name. Her husband has signed up as well for when his time comes. It is hard to think of your loved ones bodies being used in this manner, but both of these sweet people know/knew they can keep on giving once they are gone.

 

[OK!]

My grandmother and grandfather both donated their bodies to science. I'm not sure what I'll do when it's time, though technically part of me's already been donated (my tonsils were the most disgusting and infected ones my doctor had ever seen, so after he removed them, he asked me if I'd like to donate them to the Washington University med school. I said sure. I'd probably have said sure if he asked me if I wanted to donate my head to Wash U's med school at that point, though. Ah, anaesthesia. )

 

[jenfur]

Seriously, are you actually reading my posts or just making assumptions? I never said that nobody should do it etc. etc. Once again, I would like to check into the facility to make sure they treat the body with respect as my religion dictates, but that is my choice. Where did I ever say, tell me, that that is what everybody else should do? I have no problem with donation whatsoever.

I just wanted to chime in here and say that I had an experience similar to yours. When I was a senior in H.S. and a member of HOSA, we toured Duke Medical and saw their cadavers. It was aweful. They had one set aside that looked fine. It looked dry, but you could tell that it had been used respectfully. We saw the muscles and veins, ect. BUT, then the guide started showing us some of the other bodies that weren't "tour ready". One male had his genitals completely cut off, but nothing else seemed to be touched. There was also a head in a bucket that the guy said he had no idea why it would be like that. He seemed very upset by a lot of things he saw. Yes, I know students can't be solemn and sad while working, but bit by bit, they can lose respect for the human that is (or was) the body. Unfortunately, I think this is why Mrs. Smith with a husband and two kids turns in to mastectomy in OR 1.

I know donation is useful, but its not for me or anyone that would need my permission.

 

[emma'smom]

You should read the book, "Stiff" if you really want to know. I personally stopped reading the book...because I decided I didn't really want to know.

As for organ donorship, please sign your license and agree to do this!

We have friends who have benefitted from a kidney transplant in the father. A whole family can be saved the anguish of a very sick (or death) father because of a donor. This family is now happy and healthy with a father who is working and providing for two wonderful kids and their mom. Those kids will be able to go to college someday with both parents to help pay for it, her dad will be able to walk her down the aisle at her wedding, etc.

The mom tells all of us all the time how great an impact organ donorship can make for so many people---and you won't need them any longer yourself, but it can have such a long-term impact on another person and their loved ones!

 

[mjantz]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you have to either be an organ donor or donate your body to science. Your body isn't any good to them with all the organs removed.

After having a gastric band put in a few years ago, I've decided to donate my body to science. My hope is that med students can learn about the effects of a gastric band on the body through the study of mine.

What do you mean by that? It sounds like you are saying that everybody in the US either has to donate organs or their body, but I'm not sure that's an accurate assessment of your statement.

Not even close. My understanding (which may be incorrect) is that if you donate your body to science they want a 'complete' body. So, the school wouldn't want a body that had had organs harvested because it would be 'incomplete'. Its difficult to see how everything works if you are looking at a body without a liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, etc.

You don't have to do anything. You can be buried 100% intact if that's your wish. Personally I feel burial is a waste of a good corpse but I realize that is just my opinion & has no bearing on anyone else.

 

[monkey68]

My husband's grandmother donated her body to Vanderbilt 6 years ago. She had signed up years earlier. It took a couple of years to get her cremains back...they came sealed in a brown plastic box with a vanderbilt label and her name. Her husband has signed up as well for when his time comes. It is hard to think of your loved ones bodies being used in this manner, but both of these sweet people know/knew they can keep on giving once they are gone.

Not to be morbid, but that reminds me of something that happened to my friend at his school. His school, people donate directly to them, and the anatomy professor actually knows most of the cadavers when they were alive. Anyway, his school does a picnic/tree planting ceremony and they invite the families of the donors to come. So my friend was sitting, talking to this elderly woman, and says that her husband was up in the lab. So he's at first thinking that she's talking about one of the professors. Then she says he passed away several years ago and donated his body. So of course, he says thank you for the gift, I learned a lot, etc. Then she says that she plans to be in the lab next year as well My friend had absolutely no idea how to respond to that. And she said it so nonchanlantly as well, just like someone mentioning they need to go to the grocery store or something.

As to the poster who asked about organ donation vs. body donation, generally, if you donate your organs, than no, you can't donate your body for a medical school dissection, but you can still donate your body to science. They can do research on the brain, lets say. Or use the muscle or bone or other parts that generally don't get used with an organ donation for research purposes. But a medical school will not want an organ donor in the lab. Our lady was missing half her colon, probably from cancer, so I assume you can be missing some parts but not all of them? But it does make it more difficult when you have to go to another table to see the normal anatomy, and when you spend hours digging through fascia, pulling apart adhesions, only to find that there's no colon.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Seriously, are you actually reading my posts or just making assumptions? I never said that nobody should do it etc. etc. Once again, I would like to check into the facility to make sure they treat the body with respect as my religion dictates, but that is my choice. Where did I ever say, tell me, that that is what everybody else should do? I have no problem with donation whatsoever.

When you said that you wouldn't do it and wouldn't "allow" anyone you love to do it (though just how you'd stop them if that's what they wanted, I'm sure I don't know...do they all obey you? I'm guessing that was a poor choice of words?) it certainly sounded like you were against the whole deal.

But you have thankfully cleared that up. It isn't okay for you or anyone you love, but it is okay for the rest of us. Gotcha. Happy to hear it.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Seriously, you need to step back and actually read what I have written. I would not donate or sign for a loved one to donate to that particular establishment. I would have no problem with myself or a loved one donating to a different establishment. I prefaced what I said in relationship to that one particular school. Perhaps "allow" was not the right word, but by the OP it sounds like loved ones must sign off on donation just as they would organ donation. I would never sign off for a loved one to donate to that school if asked to. If it were a different establishment that I knew to be respectable, I would have absolutely no problem signing off on it if asked to.

 

[HelenePA]

Not even close. My understanding (which may be incorrect) is that if you donate your body to science they want a 'complete' body. So, the school wouldn't want a body that had had organs harvested because it would be 'incomplete'. Its difficult to see how everything works if you are looking at a body without a liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, etc.

You don't have to do anything. You can be buried 100% intact if that's your wish. Personally I feel burial is a waste of a good corpse but I realize that is just my opinion & has no bearing on anyone else.

I really dont think they "need" a complete body. Like I said my dad was probably not complete I think they can also take stuff from an incomplete body and study those parts by themself.. I will say this.. I have both my mom's ashes (she did not donate her body to science) and my dad's ashes.. there is a whole lot more of my mom's than my dads. What they took I dont know.. honestly I'd rather not know! The only "rules" they told me about last year when I did it was he had to weigh under 260, they needed some blood from him, and it had to have been with in 72hours of his death that they had him back at the lab.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

If you donate your body, does that mean that the family cannot have a wake/visitation? I'm also curious why they would have a weight limit. I would think that with the rise in obesity in the US it would be beneficial for them to have larger bodies.

 

[HelenePA]

If you donate your body, does that mean that the family cannot have a wake/visitation? I'm also curious why they would have a weight limit. I would think that with the rise in obesity in the US it would be beneficial for them to have larger bodies.

my brother went down to the morgue to see him before they autopsied him. I have no clue about why the weight limit. My dad was pushing 260 so I was biting my nails about that! I'm sure all schools have different criteria. This was just for the place I used. I didn't really have time to pick and choose since there was a deadline for getting him there asap. He was 58 its not like we were expecting it to happen. He was supposed to be at my house babysitting when he had a massive stroke. he just never showed up

 

[Green Tea]

They will come get the body and they pay for the first 100 miles. Any mileage over that then the family is responsible for.

They charge to pick up their donation? Holy Crap! That's awful!!!