What does it mean to donate your body to science after death

When we lose a loved one, there are many decisions to be made. One of them concerns what will happen to the inanimate body. Giving is an option?

There are no official statistics on the number of people who decide to donate their bodies to science, but there is information on how many people in the United States choose to do so — about 20,000 Americans do so each year.

But what exactly does it mean to donate a body after death? Another perfectly valid question concerns the plans for the funeral of a deceased person and the impact of such a decision on his family.

Research for Life is an organization that promotes donation of the entire scientific base and claims that there are several reasons to consider this option. First of all, it must be taken into account that the inanimate body and its organs can help in various medical research that can save human lives. Moreover, up-and-coming doctors and surgeons have someone who can put into practice what they have learned, which again is important when it comes to saving lives.

However, one important aspect must be taken into account - this decision will affect the funeral. When someone decides to donate their body to science, after death this body must be urgently taken away, there is no time for either embalming or burial. Moreover, relatives and friends of the deceased will not be able to see the lifeless body and, as a result, will not be able to say “Goodbye!”.

A funeral ceremony may be held, but it may take up to two years for the family to receive the cremated remains. So it must be borne in mind that the deceased will not be present at the funeral.

The reason you might want to donate your body after death is so that medical students study so that they can help their patients later, or to help scientists better understand a complex medical topic, study more precisely.

If you want to donate your body to a particular university, research program, or hospital, you should find out if they have such a program. If not, you may find someone else who can benefit from your special donation.

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