Today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a great article by Marylynne Pitz, titled “Donating Your Body to Science.” It’s all about how to donate your body for medical research, how the business of organ and whole body donation works, and things to know about the process.
While she interviewed me for the story, she quoted mostly people in Pittsburgh or Pennsylvania. These were the tips I provided on how to properly donate your body to science and avoid body donation fraud:
Tip 1: Do your research early, before someone dies. There are forms to fill out and consent papers to sign by the person who is doing the donating.
Tip 2: Work with an established medical school or nonprofit organization. Ask a lot of questions. Don’t change plans at the last minute.
Tip 3: Talk to your family about your wishes to donate your body, let them know the choices you have made, and ask that your wishes be honored.
I was glad to see she got the details right on things like who is and is not eligible for whole body donation and other little known information about the process. While I wish my quotes had made it into the piece, it’s an excellent article.
