# I Just Found Out About Full Body Donation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951 "2017-02-04T01:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951/21 "2017-02-08T20:24:51Z")
My mother passed a bit over a year ago, and her intention was to donate her body to science. She passed after a bout with cancer. She thought that both herself and my dad had taken care of what was necessary to have this done by writing a dated letter and signing it with their intentions. There is a large research hospital nearby where they lived, and she thought that was all they needed to do. Didn’t even bother to contact the hospital or anything. Well, of course when she passed we quickly found out there was a lot more that needed to be done for this to happen, and she could not donate her body there. Thankfully, my brother was able to find a facility in Missouri(I believe) that would accept her body for donation. She was flown there and after they had performed whatever research they could, her body was cremated and the remains were returned for burial. The point of this being, make sure you actually have your plans arranged, not just some letter in the desk drawer detailing your wishes. Sadly, that letter isn’t sufficient and you might not be able to donate as you wish. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951/22 "2017-02-09T01:01:25Z")
Two of my aunts have done this, and my brother intends to. With my aunts, after a certain amount of time, what was left was cremated and the ashes were sent to the family for burial or whatever they wanted. My brother is looking at the University of Arizona (I think) medical school. When they are done they will cremate what’s left and scatter the ashes in their Memory Garden or something like that. Each of my aunts had seven children, and all my cousins were fine with the decision. My family is happy with my brother’s decision. We all hope it helps someone in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951/23 "2017-02-09T20:52:21Z")
[slight hijack] > [@Joey\_P](#): > > I always thought all the bells and whistles on coffins were kind of funny. I guess it’s nice to have a nice looking coffin for people to look at. But if family members don’t have the extra money, there’s no reason to spend thousands of extra dollars for something that people are only going to see for 20 minutes. And with that, I remember someone talking about stupid it is to pay extra money for things like a gasket around the edge, water tight seams, the two part lid being totally sealed when it’s closed. They went on to say (not that it really matters, I guess), if it’s ‘open to the elements’, the box can break down, moisture/dry cycles can work their way through it, worms can get it and the body can decompose somewhat quickly. OTOH, if the box is totally sealed, the body will lay there and rot…putrefy in it’s own muck for years. > The funeral homes upsell people on these sealed caskets, but it’s a lot of money for no real reason and it extends the process pointlessly. When my dad died, one of the options we were given was a cardboard coffin for practically nothing. Seriously, I think (this was 15 years ago) that it was under $100. Since he’d wanted to be cremated, we couldn’t see the point in paying more for something we were just going to burn up anyway. [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951/24 "2017-02-10T21:50:21Z")
Sorry to just now be getting back to the thread, but let me say first of all that I have read all the posts and apparently I can mention the organization I have chosen (“Science Care”) without spamming them on y’all. I’m cleared for Georgia, and all will be taken care of after I expire at no cost to anyone. This will also spare me the stupidity of my extended family (brother, nieces and nephews) snivelling over me and the paying of “last respects”. I plan to have a conversation with my wife and son and at some point ask for a morphine drip if possible. Not being cynical, I just don’t want folks to look at my emaciated husk of a body and would like to be remembered as I was during the good times. Q ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951/25 "2017-02-10T23:16:54Z")
I read that for medical schools they have a list of names of the bodies before the students look at them. The reason is that they don’t want a student to end up with the body of a relative or friend. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951/26 "2017-02-10T23:30:07Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I read that for medical schools they have a list of names of the bodies before the students look at them. The reason is that they don’t want a student to end up with the body of a relative or friend. Omni Magazine (remember it?) asked if this kind of thing had ever happened, and one person replied that she had uncovered the body of a great-aunt who had willed her body to science. :eek: In this case, the body was reassigned to another school. As for disposition of ashes, I do know of two medical schools that have an annual memorial service, open to the public, for people who donated their bodies in the past year (their names can be read unless they wish to remain anonymous) and this includes burial of ashes. IIRC, in at least one case, a tree is planted in the hole where the ashes are placed and a small plaque installed. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951/27 "2017-02-11T00:11:47Z")
**Bijou** , thanks - that makes perfect sense. **Nearwildheaven** : I did not know of this. Thank you both. I used to love Omni. Published by that Penthouse guy, right? You know - I haven’t checked into whether the Catholics approve of this. Having been one, it would be nice if I could get a priest to catch me up on my Hail Mary’s. I could just send him (or her) a list of my transgressions and stuff and get posthumorously forgiven. Y’all got that, right?😃 Of course you did. I’m talking to Dopers after all. Or I’ll just go with Pascal’s Wager. Q ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951/28 "2017-02-11T03:35:59Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > You know - I haven’t checked into whether the Catholics approve of this. Having been one, it would be nice if I could get a priest to catch me up on my Hail Mary’s. I could just send him (or her) a list of my transgressions and stuff and get posthumorously forgiven. TL : DR - Yes. They also approve of organ donation. [https://cruxnow.com/church/2015/04/20/does-the-church-allow-people-to-donate-their-bodies-to-science/](https://cruxnow.com/church/2015/04/20/does-the-church-allow-people-to-donate-their-bodies-to-science/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-about-full-body-donation/778951.md?page=1)