See also organ, eye and tissue donation

North Carolina law is flexible about organ, eye, and tissue donation for transplant and whole body bequeathal to medical schools for teaching and research. Whole body donation is entirely different from organ, eye, and tissue donation. See the organ, eye and tissue donation page for information on that topic.

Bequeathal of one's whole body to a medical school for teaching or research is arranged by filing a whole body donation certificate with a medical school. Forms for this purpose are available from each of the North Carolina medical schools listed below. Note that such whole body arrangements should not be confused with the organ, eye, and tissue donor program associated with the NC drivers license. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Since the bodies used [by medical programs for teaching and research] generally must be complete with all their organs and tissues, organ donation is not an option. Some programs, however, make exceptions. You can inform your family that organ donation is your first choice, but if it is found that you are not medically suitable for organ donation, your family can carry out your wishes for whole body donation." [1]

For a medical school to accept a donated body depends on circumstances that cannot be predicted in advance (see the table below). Therefore, please:

1. state clearly in your durable power of attorney that you bequeath your body to a medical school for teaching or research
2. name and provide contact information for that medical school (this is the school you chose and with which you filed the whole body donation certificate)
3. include a copy of your whole body donation certificate and any appropriate copies of correspondence (this is a copy of the certificate that you already filed with the medical school)
4. specify alternative arrangements to be followed in the event that the donation cannot be fulfilled (name of funeral home or crematory, burial or cremation, financial arrangements, and other details), and
5. make sure that copies of your advance directives and will are known and available to whoever is responsible for disposition of the body.

The whole body donation certificate is designed to be consistent with the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of the N.C. Statutes. The certificate has places to indicate preferences in case one dies at a location distant from the chosen medical school and preferences regarding disposition of ashes following use of the body. The donor and two witnesses sign the form. One copy is sent to the medical school at the time it is signed. The donor keeps a copy with other important papers that deal with end of life matters.

These anatomical programs may provide a form for supplementary information about the donor. Such information--a social and medical history--includes social security number, marital status, birth place and date, occupation, parents names, education, and attending physician, etc.

Additional considerations to keep in mind are these:

• Let family and relatives know of your wish to donate your body. Surprises can lead to objections that complicate arrangements.
• Bequeathal does not preclude a memorial service without the body present
• Bequethal will result in embalming and refrigeration of the body until it is used.
• The costs of transporting the body to the medical facility are generally the responsibility of the next of kin or the estate.

With a bit of planning and a few extra arrangements, you can make a very special contribution that may--who knows?--prove to be of lasting benefit to health care and health science.

Anatomical Donation / Body Bequeathal Programs in North Carolina

Footnotes

1. Web site of the Health Resources & Service Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; OrganDonor.gov