[AMA] Body Donor Program after Death

sam-1966 on 30/05/2023 - 17:42

My father passed away recently and was a body donor to the University of Queensland. My mother also did this approximately 9 years ago. They wrote to the University in 1966 expressing their interest in this - which was sufficient at the time!

Prior to this, I had been involved in a post about funeral costs etc. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/720025 and people seemed interested in the Body Donor Program around Australia.

Obviously, I won't be able to answer every question, but happy to answer whatever I can. We have been extremely happy with the service they have provided in answering their wishes.

Introduce Yourself

closed Comments

  • poboy on 30/05/2023 - 18:40
    -4

    How do I apply to get my body strapped with C4?

    • try2bhelpful on 30/05/2023 - 20:17

      You could always be fed to vultures.

  • AustriaBargain on 30/05/2023 - 19:02
    +1

    I've signed on to this too. Hopefully some medical student will get a chance to practice getting their hands dirty in my body. If the university has no use for me then I guess someone else will need to pay for my body disposal. Other than giving students the chance to cut in anatomy class, I think most people do it because the uni pays for your cremation if they use your body.

    I saw a documentary about bodies being used to aid forensic science, they dump you in a forrest or on a wooden floor or whatever and keep checking on how you decompose, so they can more accurately predict time of death when bodies are found by cops. I'd sign up for that if I knew how, kinda like the idea of someone checking on me for months or years after I died.

    • sam-1966 on 31/05/2023 - 10:16

      This is now happening in Australia. The only facility of its type in the southern hemisphere is in Sydney and accept body donations for the type of scenario you mentioned for research on decomposition with insects etc not found in the northern hemisphere.

  • jumpypotato53 on 30/05/2023 - 19:04

    Do they help with funeral costs?

    • AustriaBargain on 30/05/2023 - 19:05

      If they have a use for your body they will take care of it. If not you're out of luck, at least with the uni I'm signed up with. Plus if you die through a wood chipper or something they definitely won't have a use for it, so you should set aside some money for your disposal anyway. Though it made me check what happens if you die with no money at all, looks like the state will pay for cremation, or even a burial in a common grave if you state it before you die https://bare.com.au/blog/paupers-funeral-what-happens-if-you…

    • [Deactivated] on 30/05/2023 - 20:02

      For UQ they have some formal ceremony thanking the donors/their families. Not sure if there funeral component to it or afterwards though.

      • sam-1966 on 31/05/2023 - 10:19

        AustriaBargain - at UQ they don't currently have a contract with a company to transport the body to the university, so you pay for that - all other costs are taken care of with regards to cremation. You have a choice of having the ashes returned or they will scatter them on your behalf.

        Synergy - the Thanksgiving Ceremony is held every two years and is beautiful. Students from different faculties speak about what the program helped them with during their studies. It is attended by lots of students as well as the families of the donors.

  • AdosHouse on 30/05/2023 - 20:01
    +1

    I remember in year 12 we went to University of QLD and went to the medical building and we got to go into the room where the medical students were practicing on the bodies donated to the Uni. Was really interesting. They even showed us this one body on an elderly lady, and the teacher showed us the medical issues she had and stuff like that.

    Also got to see a heavy smokers lung, do not recommend. Also a brain where the person dies of a massive stroke, that was a decent sized clot.

  • rumblytangara on 30/05/2023 - 20:18

    And for the equivalent in the US system, your body could end up being dissected for the edification of a paying audience in a hotel somewhere.

    https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2021/11/body-donated-to-…

    https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-bodi…

  • Jumpingmanjim on 30/05/2023 - 20:56
    -1

    Funniest thing you've found in a body?

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